President Donald Trump's trip to Texas Wednesday included signing orders making it harder to block pipelines and venting about illegal immigration, human trafficking and safety concerns on the border.
Trump arrived in Texas to raise re-election money in two counties that backed Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Trump won Texas in 2016. But Clinton won Bexar and Harris counties, where San Antonio and Houston are located, respectively, by double digits.
Trump will appeal to donors at separate events Wednesday in San Antonio and Houston. Republican Party Chair Ronna McDaniel said at least $6 million would be raised and shared by Trump's re-election effort and the Republican National Committee.
During a roundtable with supporters in San Antonio, Texas, Trump said people in border states are living in tremendous danger and that nobody has any idea how bad the problem is.
He says when it's hot, migrants are dying -- he claims some ranchers are finding scores of dead bodies on their land.
Another supporter told Trump that gang members are entering the country.
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Trump says all the people he's speaking with want a wall because if there was a border wall, migrants wouldn't come and people wouldn't die.
The president also chastised the media for not writing "straight" stories about the situation on the border.
In between fundraisers, Trump signed two executive orders that he says will accelerate the approval of oil and gas pipeline projects in the United States.
He said badly needed energy projects are being held back by what he called "special interest groups, entrenched bureaucracies and radical activists."
He particularly took aim at the state of New York, saying "obstruction" on a gas pipeline "does not just hurt families and workers like you, it undermines our independence and national security."
Trump is trying to make it harder for states to block pipelines and other energy projects due to environmental concerns.
Trump signed the executive orders before applauding union workers at a training facility in Crosby, Texas.
Trump told union workers at a training facility in Crosby that "American labor will always have a friend in the White House."
He says crude oil production is at a record high in Texas. Still, he believes more can be done.
President Donald Trump heaped praise on Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush.
Bush was in the crowd in Crosby. Trump called out: "Where's George? Come here, George. This is the only Bush that likes me."
Workers in the crowd laughed and shouted in approval for the oldest child of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.
Bush walked up on stage, shook Trump's hand and the two exchanged a few words.
Trump called him a great guy, introduced him as the "Bush that got it right," and said he was going to go far in life.
