President Donald Trump spent Thursday night in Houston after a Republican fundraiser and is scheduled Friday to present the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the Artemis II crew at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
Trump landed at Ellington Field about 5 p.m. Thursday, Fox 26 Houston and the Houston Chronicle reported. He headlined a closed-door GOP reception in the Post Oak area aimed at midterm fundraising and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s U.S. Senate race against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, local stations said.
Before leaving Washington, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that Paxton is “a very good candidate” running against “Tala-freako,” adding the Democrat is “a little freaky” and “not a man that represents the value of Texas.” The New York Post and Mediaite quoted him saying he would “spend a lot of time in Texas.” Talarico’s campaign has sold merchandise playing off the nickname.
NASA said the medal ceremony is 11 a.m. EDT Friday at Johnson Space Center. NASA said the medal ceremony is 11 a.m. EDT Friday at Johnson Space Center. Trump will honor astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman is to attend. The crew completed a 10-day Orion flight around the moon in April, the first crewed mission beyond low Earth orbit in more than 50 years, NASA said. Only 30 astronauts have received the medal.
FAA temporary flight restrictions and motorcade routes were expected to slow southeast Houston and roads near the space center Friday morning, local traffic reports said.
Trump’s Houston stop is his third Texas visit since returning to the White House, the Chronicle reported. Polls have shown a close Senate race. The president is expected to return to Washington after the NASA events.
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