Evan Vucci/AP Photo Trump looking for 'biggest stadium' he can find for Ted Cruz rally

President Donald Trump is planning a "major rally" this fall for his onetime campaign foe, Sen. Ted Cruz, in the "biggest stadium" he can find, the president announced on Twitter Friday afternoon.

Cruz (R-Tx.) is gearing up for what has been billed as an increasingly competitive election against against Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke in November. The race is tighter than anticipated, and Republicans are on the offensive, making plans for a major television ad campaign and squeezing donors for cash.


Trump, too, is throwing his support behind Cruz, with an endorsement on Twitter and a pledge to visit the Lone Star state this fall.

"I will be doing a major rally for Senator Ted Cruz in October. I’m picking the biggest stadium in Texas we can find. As you know, Ted has my complete and total Endorsement. His opponent is a disaster for Texas - weak on Second Amendment, Crime, Borders, Military, and Vets!" Trump wrote online.

A Democrat hasn't held Cruz's seat since the late 1980s, but Cruz only leads O'Rourke, a Democratic congressman from El Paso, Texas, by 4 points according to a recent NBC News/Marist poll.

Though Trump has warmed to Cruz since winning the presidency, candidate Trump had a contentious relationship with Cruz on the 2016 campaign trail as the number of GOP candidates dwindled. The president nicknamed Cruz "Lyin' Ted" during presidential debates, suggested Cruz's father was involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and posted a photo online suggesting Cruz's wife was unattractive.

Cruz, in remarks at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, urged Republicans to vote their conscience in that year's election, earning him boos from the convention floor.

As Democrats work to flip both houses of Congress, with success in the House appearing more likely than in the Senate, Trump has pledged to work overtime campaigning for Republicans ahead of the November midterms.