The Shady Side Of Barack Obama's Half-Brother Malik Obama
To many, Barack Obama is a stand-up guy, but the same opinion would be debatable for his half-brother Malik Obama. You might not have known Barack comes from a big family — the former president has eight siblings! Malik is Barack's older half-brother from his father's side. He was born in Kenya and resides in the African country, and despite living on the other side of the world, he was able to connect with Barack.
The two brothers didn't have the chance to meet until 1985, when Barack was in his early twenties, and Malik was in his late twenties. In a GQ profile, Malik revealed that the two had grown close after meeting, and they were even each other's best man at their weddings. Malik told the outlet that it was because of the close bond they developed he was able to bring Barack to Africa. He said, "Of course we're close! I'm the one who brought him here to Kogelo in 1988! I thought it was important for him to come home and see from whence his family came – you know, his roots."
Seeing how close the two had supposedly gotten, it may be surprising that Barack hasn't talked much about Malik. Well, the dynamic has shifted between the two half-brothers in the past couple of years as Malik has had some shady moments that don't align with what Barack stands for.
Malik Obama said he would vote for Donald Trump
Barack Obama's presidential run was filled with democratic ideals, from Obamacare to supporting LGBTQ+ rights, all in line with liberal ideas. Donald Trump is the exact opposite of Barack, with more conservative viewpoints. It's no secret the two don't see eye to eye. In 2016, Barack was upfront with the public that he didn't believe Trump could be a good president. Because of their different ideals and how controversial Trump can be, it was shocking when Barack's half-brother, Malik Obama, said he would vote for Trump.
While Barack was saying Trump was unfit for the presidency, his brother was saying he was the perfect fit. Malik had told the New York Post, "I like Donald Trump because he speaks from the heart. Make America Great Again is a great slogan. I would like to meet him." At the same time he said he would vote for Trump, Malik threw some shade at his younger half-brother. He revealed that he was discouraged by Barack's presidency. The public was shocked to see Malik have such different ideals than his younger brother and to go as far as dragging Barack's presidential run. Malik has continued to support Trump in the 2024 presidency, sharing a photo of him in a MAGA hat on X, formerly Twitter, with the caption, "...MAGA 2024!" Surprisingly, Malik also got his wish and was able to meet Trump — in a shady way.
Donald Trump invited Malik Obama to presidential debate
Malik Obama's comments about Donald Trump won over the former president. Not long after Malik announced that he would vote for Trump in the 2016 election, he got a response from the businessman. Trump wrote on X, "Wow, President Obama's brother, Malik, just announced that he is voting for me. Was probably treated badly by president-like everybody else!" Trump was so moved by Malik's comments that he invited him to the final presidential debate.
In October 2016, Trump's aides revealed that Malik's attendance. To many democratic proponents, the invite seemed a bit suspicious and more like a tactic to take a dig at Trump's rival, Hillary Clinton, and the rest of the liberal party. Tactic or not, Malik was thrilled to be invited. He told the New York Post, "I'm excited to be at the debate. Trump can make America great again" (via Page Six). At the time, Trump was being exposed and facing serious allegations of sexual assault, but Malik still stood behind the then-candidate. He said, "I don't believe [the women]. Why didn't they come forward before?" Nothing would get in the way of Malik's support of Trump, not even his biggest controversies. Trump was just as thrilled to be meeting Malik. Making a dig at Barack in the process, Trump said, "I look very much forward to meeting and being with Malik. He gets it far better than his brother."
Malik Obama called Barack Obama a snake
As if it didn't hurt enough that Malik Obama supported Donald Trump, he has also heavily criticized his younger half-brother, former president Barack Obama. When Malik announced that he was behind Trump in the 2016 election, he also shared some of his reasons for doing so, and the majority had to do with his brother's presidency. He told The New York Post, "I feel like a Republican now because they don't stand for same-sex marriage, and that appeals to me." This only scratched the surface of Malik's critiques of Barack's time in office.
In 2023, Malik fired off a series of questionable tweets toward his half-brother. In one tweet, he claimed that Barack had completely "rejected" him. He said, "I just wanted to be Fake a** a snakes (President Barack Obama)'s big brother but he rejected me. He (President Barack Obama) is fake as a snake and is a TRAITOR." The rampage didn't end there; Malik even went as fast as to claim that Barack "sold his soul to the devil." Malik shared a photo of him and Barack before captioning it with another jab at his half-brother. He tweet read, "Me and Fake a** a snake (President Barack Obama) when he was a nobody." These tweets were harsh, and it's sure to have caused tension between the two family members.
Malik Obama has a sketchy charity
Malik Obama built a charity foundation named after his father, Barack H. Obama, to help support impoverished Kenyans. According to the foundation's website, the purpose of the charity reads, "The Barack H. Obama Foundation is committed to a wide array of development and humanitarian projects which will help mitigate social-shortcomings in areas of education and literacy, health and well-being, poverty, and lack of community infrastructure in such basic needs such as water, electricity, shelter and sustenance." The website also lists projects they are said to be working on, including building latrines and mosques. On the outside, the charity appears to be a great effort to better the lives of Kenyans. However, a couple of people have raised concerns.
In 2009, Missouri State College students visited the Obama family village and met Malik but immediately felt something was off. Instead of donating their 400 pounds of medical supplies to the foundation, they instead donated it to a local clinic. The professor who led the trip shared with the New York Post, "We didn't know what he was going to do with them." It's not just the firsthand accounts that have raised concerns about Malik's charity. The New York Post even alleged that the foundation was falsely claiming itself as a tax-exempt nonprofit. In addition, it doesn't have any filing of its expenditures. From visits to documents, Malik's charity has appeared unscrupulous, and even Barack Obama wanted no involvement.
Malik Obama had a close relationship with a Libyan dictator
Muammar al-Qaddafi (also known as Muammar Khadafy or Muammar Gadhafi) was a controversial political figure after seizing control of the Libyan government in the late '60s and early '70s. From removing U.S. and British bases to expelling Italian and Jewish people, Qaddafi took complete control and became a dictator in the country. During this time, Malik Obama was close with the leader and a vocal supporter. Several photos of the two were captured in the years before al-Qaddafi's death.
In 2011, when the Libyan revolt ensued against al-Qaddafi, Malik claims that he begged his half-brother to speak with the dictator, but Barack was not interested. Malik said, "I went to see my brother, and I said, look, this is somebody I know, and it's terrible what is going on. Let's see if we can talk to him and find some kind of rapprochement. He wasn't interested." al-Qaddafi was killed in the revolt, and Malik critiqued Barack and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for their involvement in supporting the Libyan people's freedom movement. Malik told the New York Post, "I still feel that getting rid of Khadafy didn't make things any better in Libya. My brother and the secretary of state disappointed me in that regard." Malik's relationship with the Libyan dictator is extremely controversial, but he has never budged on his support for him.