With early voting less than two months away, President Donald Trump appeared in Houston on Thursday to inject momentum and some much-needed cash in the U.S. Senate campaign of Republican Ken Paxton, his close ally who is in a tight race with Democrat James Talarico.

Trump's first appearance for Paxton's campaign comes in a week when ad spending by Republicans for the state's attorney general surpassed his Democratic opponent's for the first time.

The president, who upon deplaning was closely followed by Bill Pulte, the director of U.S. Federal Housing, was greeted by U.S. Rep. Brian Babin, R-Woodville, on the Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base tarmac.