Trump to promote opportunity zones on North Carolina visit

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday will promote economic revitalization in low-income areas on his first trip outside of Washington since he was acquitted in the Senate impeachment trial.

Before leaving for North Carolina, Trump continued to air grievances about his impeachment ordeal, saying of Democrats: “I think there's a lot of evil on that side.” He also told reporters on the South Lawn before his departure that reports that acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney is on his way out are “false.”

Trump was scheduled to deliver closing remarks at the North Carolina Opportunity Now Summit at Piedmont Community College in Charlotte. It's the first in a series of trips the president will be taking to promote opportunity zones, the White House said.

Trump will spotlight help for thousands of neighborhoods around the country that were designated as opportunity zones under a tax-cut package he signed into law in 2017. Tax breaks are provided for certain investments in these lower income areas.

“It's all working,” Trump said Tuesday night as he highlighted opportunity zones in his State of the Union address.

As an example, Trump introduced an Army veteran from Cincinnati who turned his life around after getting a job with a construction company that invests in opportunity zones.

“Wealthy people and companies are pouring money into poor neighborhoods or areas that haven't seen investment in decades, creating jobs, energy and excitement," Trump said.

The Republican-controlled Senate voted Wednesday to acquit Trump on two articles of impeachment, one alleging abuse of power and the other accusing him of obstructing the work of Congress.

Trump will return to Charlotte in late August for the Republican National Convention, where he is...