United States President Barack Obama’s half-brother Malik Obama, a long-time Democrat, has switched allegiance to the Republican Party and intends to vote for Donald Trump because he believes the business tycoon “speaks from the heart.”
Mr. Malik (57), an accountant in Kenya, used to live in Maryland in the U.S. and is still registered to vote there. He plans to travel back to the U.S. to cast his ballot for the Republican presidential candidate in the November 8 polls. “I like Donald Trump because he speaks from the heart. ‘Make America Great Again’ is a great slogan. I would like to meet him,” Mr. Malik told the New York Post .
Sore with Obama administration
Mr. Malik, a long-time Democrat, said his “deep disappointment” in his brother’s administration has led him to recently switch allegiance to “the party of Lincoln.”
The last straw, he said, came earlier this month when FBI Director James Comey recommended not to prosecute Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton over her use of a private e-mail server while she was Secretary of State. “She should have known better as the custodian of classified information,” Mr. Malik said.
Lately, the U.S. President’s family ties seem to be frayed.
He was best man at Barack’s wedding
Mr. Malik, who was best man at Mr. Obama’s wedding, said he spoke to his brother a year ago and was miffed that Mr. Obama did nothing to help his own foray into politics when he ran for governor of the south-western Kenyan county of Siaya in 2013.
Mr. Trump was quick to point out the news on Twitter, saying that Mr. Malik was probably treated badly by the President.
“Wow, President Obama’s brother, Malik, just announced that he is voting for me. Was probably treated badly by President — like everybody else!” the 69-year-old tycoon said.
‘Barack, Hillary killed friend Gaddafi’
Mr. Malik is also annoyed that Ms. Clinton and Mr. Obama “killed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi”, whom he called one of his best friends. He dedicated his 2012 biography of his late father to Gaddafi and others who were “making this world a better place.”
But what bothers him even more is the Democratic Party’s support of same-sex marriage.
“I feel like a Republican now because they don’t stand for same-sex marriage, and that appeals to me,” he said.
Malik has 3 wives
Mr. Malik currently has at least three wives.
The President’s and Malik’s father, Barack Obama Sr., left Kenya in 1959 when Mr. Malik was a year old and his mother was pregnant with his sister Auma. Obama Sr. enrolled at the University of Hawaii, where he met and married the President’s mother, Stanley Ann Dunham.
They first met only in 1985
Mr. Malik did not meet his younger half-brother until 1985. Mr. Obama (54) has seven half-siblings from both sides of his family. Mr. Malik, the eldest, is the director of the Barack H. Obama Foundation, a controversial Virginia charity named after his father.