Barack Obama to appear at DNC gala ahead of midterms

[Ulquiorra]

Former President Barack Obama is set to help Democrats gear up for the 2018 midterm elections, which supporters hope could see the party take control of at least the House this year.

Obama will appear at a Democratic National Committee Gala Dinner in Los Angeles on June 28, organizers said in an emailed invitation.

"With the midterms quickly approaching, we gently ask for your steadfast support," the invitation reads, adding that the event is "an opportunity to hear from President Barack Obama about the future of the Democratic Party."

Obama has only occasionally tweeted or has otherwise issued statements weighing in on political developments in the country since he left office.

After President Donald Trump in early May announced the United States would withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, Obama acknowledged in a statement that "In a democracy, there will always be changes in policies and priorities from one Administration to the next," but Obama also called the decision "misguided" and harmful to America's standing in the world.

In March, Obama tweeted in support of young people who marched across the country calling for gun control and other changes after the Valentine's Day school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people, mostly students.

Former Attorney General Eric Holder, who served under Obama, said in February that he would lead a party effort to target races and ballot initiatives that would give Democrats an opportunity to create more favorable district maps after the 2020 census.

At the time, Holder said "I expect later this year you will see [Obama] campaigning with a focus on the races that will matter for redistricting," and that "he has identified this as his chief political activity post-presidency."