Trump to visit city for first time since taking office

BALTIMORE — President Donald Trump will visit Baltimore on Wednesday, his first trip to the city since taking office, the White House said Friday.

The trip is to promote so-called “opportunity zones,” which were created by a Republican-backed tax law and are designed to encourage investment in and around struggling neighborhoods. The White House said the president will attend a roundtable with local leaders and mayors.

Greg Tucker, a spokesman for Mayor Catherine Pugh, said she had been told about the planned visit by the Baltimore Police Department and had not personally been notified by the White House.

A White House spokesman said Pugh was among a number of local leaders who have been or will be invited.

The opportunity zone program is one of the few aspects of the tax bill that has support from Democrats, and officials in Baltimore have said they hope to find ways to take advantage of it.