Obama to enter midterm ring with ‘pointed’ criticism of Trump

Former President Obama is preparing a return to the political arena ahead of the midterm elections with a speech Friday that’s expected to include sharp criticism of President Trump.

An Obama adviser told the Associated Press that the former president would be “pointed” in his critique of the current political environment, including Trump, in a speech he’s scheduled to give at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign.

{mosads}The next day, Obama is slated to participate in a campaign rally for several Democratic congressional candidates in California, followed by a Sept. 13 rally for former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Ohio.

Obama is also planning campaign trips to Illinois and Pennsylvania, two states with critical gubernatorial and House races.

Former first lady Michelle Obama will step back into the political fray as well, headlining voter registration rallies in Nevada and Florida — states with tight gubernatorial and Senate races — later this month.

The reemergence of the Obamas comes as Democrats struggle to find a unifying message, other than opposition to Trump, heading into the midterm elections.