Trump to hold rally for Sen. Ted Cruz at NRG Arena

PHOTOS: The Trump-Cruz relationship President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during a rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018. Trump announced Monday that he will hold a rally at NRG Arena to get out the vote ahead of the midterm elections. >>See the relationship Trump and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz have had on Twitter over the last couple of years in the photos that follow... less PHOTOS: The Trump-Cruz relationship President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks during a rally in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018. Trump announced Monday that he will hold a rally at NRG Arena ... more Photo: Bridget Bennett / Bloomberg Photo: Bridget Bennett / Bloomberg Image 1 of / 45 Caption Close Trump to hold rally for Sen. Ted Cruz at NRG Arena 1 / 45 Back to Gallery

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will make good on his promise to help Texas Republican Ted Cruz, announcing plans to hold a large rally next Monday night in Houston.

The Trump campaign on Monday said the next stop on the president’s midterm campaign tour will be at the NRG Arena, which its website states can hold “less than 10,000” people near the larger NRG Stadium.

In August, Trump said he would do a “major rally” for Cruz in the “biggest stadium in Texas we can find.”

The NRG Arena is not the state’s largest stadium. That honor goes to Kyle Field at the Texas A&M University campus with its seating capacity of 102,733.

This is the sixth rally that President Trump has held in Texas and the second rally in the Houston area since he first began his race for president in June, 2015.

“We are pleased to announce the next stop on our national midterm campaign tour with a Make America Great Again rally on Monday, October 22nd in Houston, Texas, featuring President Donald Trump,” said Michael Glassner, Chief Operating Officer for Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. “The President looks forward to celebrating the booming Trump economy that’s delivering new jobs and bigger paychecks to the hardworking men and women across the Lone Star State.”

The rally, which will coincide with the first day that early voting in Texas, has been expected since Trump announced last month that he would come to the aid of his former political rival amid the surprisingly stiff challenge from Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke.

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The announcement comes as O'Rourke, a three-term congressman, raised more than three times as much as Cruz over the past three months. O'Rourke's $38.1 million was the largest fundraising quarter for a U.S. Senate race, far outpacing the $12 million raised by Cruz over the same period.

O’Rourke addressed the announcement that Trump would rally for his Republican opponent after a town hall in San Antonio.

“To me it demonstrates that Sen Cruz will put his political ambition, his prospects in the election ahead of anything else, including his family, including those he’s sworn to represent here in Texas,” O’Rourke told reporters.

The most recent polling in the race, however, gives Cruz a high single digit lead in the race.

Earlier this month, Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., stumped for Cruz at a rally in Conroe. He referenced the bitter Republican contest between the senator and his father, adding that Cruz redeemed himself by joining him for a drink at the Trump International Hotel near the White House.

Next Monday's rally will be held at 6:30 p.m. at NRG Arena. Those interested in attending the rally must register at Trump's campaign website.

J.R. Gonzales contributed to this report.