Trump to hold campaign rally in Dallas in October

President Trump will hold a campaign rally in Dallas next month seeking to solidify support in Texas as several Republican members of the state’s congressional delegation retire.

The Trump campaign announced Monday that Trump will hold an Oct. 17 rally at the American Airlines Center, home to the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars.{mosads}

The event will come one week after Trump’s scheduled rally in Minneapolis, where he is attempting to flip the state after narrowly losing it in 2016.

Rep. Mac Thornberry (Texas), the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, announced earlier Monday that he will not seek reelection. In doing so, he became the sixth Texas Republican to retire from Congress this year.

Trump visited Houston earlier this month for an event with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The president was asked there whether he felt Texas was in play for 2020 and downplayed the scenario.

“I don’t see how I could possibly lose Texas,” he said. “They want border security. They want to protect their Second Amendment. They want a lot of things that I stand for. I don’t see how it’s possible, but, you know, you never know. 
 
“The only way it’s possible is if people think you’re going to win and win by a lot, and therefore they don’t go out to vote,” he added. “So I think we’re doing well in Texas.”

Trump won the Lone Star State by roughly 9 percentage points in 2016, though election forecasters have noted it is becoming increasingly Democratic in some areas.