In reply to your query, whitewave, since 2011, there has been a long battle to repeal Texas' Voter Identification Law which is highly discriminatory against minorities. This was a long drawn out case which cost the state a huge amount of money and which the Republican majority sought to defend and keep, literally at all cost.
Then, last July, the US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld an original decision that the law was, indeed, discriminatory.
Trump has just made sure that the old law remains. He has overriden, by executive order, and to the glee of Republican Texas, amendments to the old law which would have removed discriminatory elements.
He has the power....and he has the support of Republicans to use it.
This may be his way of thanking Texas for their electoral college votes....