Donald Trump and Ben Carson to visit San Francisco, talk homelessness, report says

FILE - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson speaks at a Senate Banking Committee hearing on "Housing Finance Reform: Next Steps" on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, in Washington. He is reportedly joining Trump on his visit on San Francisco on Tuesday. less FILE - Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson speaks at a Senate Banking Committee hearing on "Housing Finance Reform: Next Steps" on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, in Washington. He is ... more Photo: Andrew Harnik, Associated Press Photo: Andrew Harnik, Associated Press Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close Donald Trump and Ben Carson to visit San Francisco, talk homelessness, report says 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

President Donald Trump's mysterious Bay Area plans for a Tuesday visit may have deviated from the original reports.

Originally, it was thought that he would appear in the city of Atherton for a fundraising luncheon, but a sergeant with the Atherton Police Department told the Mercury News they received word he wasn't coming.

Nonetheless, CNN reports Trump is now being joined by Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson in San Francisco. Together, they'll "show support for the idea of homeless opportunity zones" on a "fact-finding mission" to learn more about the crisis, a source with knowledge of the trip told CNN.

The proposed program would give participants tax incentives for investing in the rehabilitation of these communities through economic growth and creation of new jobs. A White House official told CNN the Trump administration was "particularly interested in the shortage of affordable housing and exploring how to lift regulations for development."

At a rally in Cincinnati earlier this month, Trump placed the blame on California's Democratic leaders.

"What they are doing to our beautiful California is a disgrace to our country," he said during the rally. "It's a shame. The world is looking at it. Look at Los Angeles with the tents and the horrible, horrible conditions. Look at San Francisco, look at some of your other cities."

At the same rally, he argued that Democrats wanted to help migrants more than their own communities.

Following their trip to San Francisco, Trump and Carson will also head down to Los Angeles – traveling separately – but they'll reconnect upon arrival.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the White House did not provide CNN with comment regarding the trips.

When San Francisco activists discovered Trump would be visiting the Bay Area, they started brainstorming how to ruin his first visit as president.

A massive, inflatable baby Trump balloon may even float through the Bay Area sky, resulting from the collaborative effort of protestors raising nearly $4,000 for the elaborate spectacle.

A chicken Trump has already been paraded around the Embarcadero as the White House remains ambiguous about his designated location. According to the Bay Resistance, the message of the blimp is that he's "he's too chicken to say where."

Read the rest of the story on CNN.

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Amanda Bartlett is an SFGate editorial assistant. Email: amanda.bartlett@sfchronicle.com