Trump's Baltimore Visit Called Off

A planned visit to Baltimore by President Donald Trump has apparently been called off.

WBAL-TV 11's Jayne Miller reports that the meeting, planned to highlight the opportunity zones established under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, will instead be held at the White House on Wednesday.

Trump meeting on Opportunity Zones will be at White House Wednesday, not in East Baltimore per @RepCummings and confirmed by WH — Jayne Miller (@jemillerwbal) December 10, 2018

The opportunity zones initiative provides federal tax incentives for investment in distressed communities over the next 10 years. Forty-two of the 149 Census tracts in Maryland designated as Opportunity Zones by the U.S. Department of the Treasury are in Baltimore City.

Donte Hickman, pastor at Southern Baptist Church, invited the president in hopes of attracting federal funding for distressed communities.

Trump last visited Baltimore as president-elect, when he attended the Army-Navy Game in 2016. Mayor Catherine Pugh greeted Trump, handing him a letter asking him to make good on his promise to boost infrastructure spending and touting Baltimore as a place to start.

Pugh didn't plan to participate in Wednesday's meeting, a spokesperson said Friday.

Barack Obama was the last sitting president to visit Baltimore.

WBAL-TV 11 contributed to this report.