President Donald Trump is in Houston today, meeting with survivors of the Santa Fe High School shooting and speaking to Republican donors.
What was supposed to be a visit to Texas for political fundraisers is one with an additional somber note.
Upon arrival at Ellington Field Joint Base at 10:51 a.m., Trump stepped down from Air Force One and was greeted by Gov. Greg Abbott, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and others.
He then rode to a Coast Guard facility at the base to meet with Santa Fe survivors and families.
As part of his Houston visit, the president also appeared at a Republican National Senatorial Committee luncheon. It’s an invitation-only, $5,000-a-plate luncheon at the St. Regis Hotel.
Contribution levels ranged from $5,000 per person to $100,000 per couple, according to the luncheon’s invitation.
The fundraiser came as U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, lags in year-to-date fundraising to longshot Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke.
Trump was also scheduled to appear at a fundraising dinner in Dallas on Thursday night. That event was organized by Trump's 2020 re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee.
The president originally had been scheduled to make his Texas fundraising visit on May 14.