Obama's half-brother says he's voting for Trump


President Obama's older half-brother, Malik Obama, is on the Trump Train.
"I like Donald Trump because he speaks from the heart," he told The New York Post. "'Make America Great Again' is a great slogan. I would like to meet him." Malik Obama now lives in the rural Kenyan village of Kogelo, but is still registered to vote in Maryland, where he worked as an accountant for several years. He said he plans to return to Maryland in November to vote for Trump, who he believes is "providing something new and something fresh."
The 58-year-old said he's been a Democrat his entire life, but was "disappointed" by his brother's tenure, upset by FBI Director James Comey recommending not prosecuting Hillary Clinton over her use of a private server while secretary of state, and bothered by 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. Trump was quick to tout the endorsement, tweeting that Malik Obama was "probably treated badly by president — like everybody else!"
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Malik Obama, who has called the late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi one of his best friends, didn't meet his brother until 1985, and now runs a charity named after their father, which he says raises money to help their family village. He also is said to have at least three wives, including a woman he married in 2011 when she was a teenager, but would not reveal how many children he has. In 2013, he lost his bid to become governor of the southwestern Kenyan county of Siaya. "I don't think politics is my thing," he told The Post. "Honestly, I'll be happy when my brother is out of office, and I will finally be out of the limelight and be able to live like a human being."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
October 19 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's editorial cartoons include Pete Hegseth and the press, an absence of government, and George Washington crossing the Delaware
-
A little-visited Indian Ocean archipelago
The Week Recommends The paradise of the Union of the Comoros features beautiful beaches, colourful coral reefs and lush forests
-
AI: is the bubble about to burst?
In the Spotlight Stock market ever-more reliant on tech stocks whose value relies on assumptions of continued growth and easy financing
-
DOJ indicts John Bolton over classified files
Speed Read Continuing the trend of going after his political enemies, Trump prosecutes his former national security adviser
-
Trump, Putin set summit as Zelenskyy lands in DC
Speed Read Trump and Putin have agreed to meet in Budapest soon to discuss ending the war in Ukraine
-
Courts deal setbacks to Trump’s Chicago operations
Speed Read President Donald Trump cannot deploy the National Guard in Illinois
-
Pentagon reporters turn in badges after refusing rules
Speed Read They refused to sign a restrictive new press policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
-
Supreme Court points to gutting Voting Rights Act
speed read States would no longer be required to consider race when drawing congressional maps
-
Trump says he authorized covert CIA ops in Venezuela
Speed Read He is also considering military strikes inside the country
-
‘Vile, racist’ leaked chats roil Young Republicans
Speed Read Leaders of Young Republican groups made racist, antisemitic and violent comments in private chats
-
Trump ties $20B Argentina bailout to Milei votes
speed read Trump will boost Argentina’s economy — if the country’s right-wing president wins upcoming elections