Donald Trump is visiting Corpus Christi, Texas. Here's what to know. - Austin American-Statesman
President Donald Trump is visiting Corpus Christi, Texas, to promote his economic policies and highlight recent economic data, including lower gas prices and increased port activity. The trip follows a speech at the State of the Union and recent judicial decisions on tariffs, with Trump emphasizing economic growth and energy development in Texas. Despite recent declines in port activity and oil rig operations, the White House underscores positive economic indicators since Trump took office.
President Donald Trump is heading to Texas today to make the case that the U.S. economy is doing far better than he’s being given credit for.
Trump is expected to fly to Corpus Christi to visit the city’s port and tout his economic policies, like he did in stops in Georgia and Iowa earlier this year.
"America is back," Trump said last week after touring a Georgia steel plant. "Our economy is roaring."
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Trump’s visit comes just days after Tuesday’s State of the Union Speech, where he praised the tariffs for helping him negotiate trade deals around the world and generate income for the U.S. government.
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"As time goes by, I believe the tariffs paid for by foreign countries will, like in the past, substantially replace the modern-day system of income tax, taking a great financial burden off the people that I love," Trump said on Tuesday night.
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But the visit also comes one week after the Supreme Court delivered a major setback to Trump's agenda when it struck down his sweeping tariffs. Trump announced later he would reimpose global tariffs at 15%, though they took effect Tuesday at 10%.
The trip to Corpus Christi comes as the port has experienced a small decline in activity in 2025 compared to 2024. Port officials there reported 203.4 million tons of goods moved through the ship channel in 2025, a decline of 1.5% from 2024.
Still, the White House made clear he’ll point to recent economic data that they say show Texans are better off since Trump took office.
“President Trump looks forward to returning to the great State of Texas tomorrow to discuss the economy and tout his ‘Drill Baby Drill’ agenda,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday.
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That includes touting the price of gas, which the White House says is 10 cents cheaper than at this time last year in Texas.
But the drop in the price of oil has had an impact in Texas. The state has about 50 fewer rigs operating than a year ago, according to the latest Baker Hughes count. That contributed to the thousands of layoffs in the oil sector in Texas in 2025.
Friday’s trip will be Trump’s second to Texas since starting his second term in office. His last visit was to Kerrville after the devastating floods in the Texas Hill Country.
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Trump made 18 visits to Texas during his first term, including traveling to Corpus Christi Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017. In 2022, he held a rally outside of Corpus Christi as he began building his re-election campaign after President Joe Biden took office.
Corpus Christ is Texas’s 8th largest city and its port is a major hub for oil, gas and manufacturing shipments.
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