Barack Obama’s half-brother said he was so disappointed with the Democratic party that he will vote for Republican nominee Donald Trump.
Malik Obama said he supports Trump because of his frustrations with the Obama administration – from its role in ousting Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi to the administration’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,” Obama told the New York Post in a call from the Kenyan village of Kogelo.
Obama plans to return to Maryland in November to cast his vote for Trump, where he is registered to vote and used to work as an accountant in the state, according to other media outlets.
Obama’s disappointments with the Democratic party also include presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while secretary of state. “She should have known better as the custodian of classified information,” said Obama.
He was also frustrated by the administration’s intervention in Libya, which preceded the ousting of Gaddafi, who died during a popular uprising. Malik Obama said Gaddafi was “one of his best friends”.
“I still feel that getting rid of Gaddafi didn’t make things any better in Libya,” he said.
But Obama was encouraged by Trump. “I like Donald Trump because he speaks from the heart,” he said.
Barack Obama did not meet Malik until 1985, according to the Post. They have the same father but different mothers.
Their father moved from Kenya to the US in 1959, but was largely absent in the president’s life. Trump’s father was born in New York and was once the richest man in the US.
Malik Obama tried to use his presidential connections during a run for governor of Kenya’s Siaya County in March 2013. Obama claimed he would have a “direct line to the White House”, but only managed 2,792 votes – about 140,000 votes behind the winner.
