President Barack Obama’s own half-brother has described him as “cold and ruthless” in a new interview with the New York Post, slamming his younger brother for what he says is a standoffish attitude towards his relatives on his father’s side of the family in Kenya.
Malik Obama is the son of economist academic Barack Obama the senior, who was briefly married to Anne Dunham, a marriage that resulted in the birth of President Obama before the couple’s divorce. Obama Senior would return to Kenya, playing only an intermittent role in his American son’s life. Barack Obama the younger would go on to meet some of his Kenyan relatives in trips to the country when visiting in 1987, later going on to visit them in subsequent trips during his career in the Illinois Senate and as President.
“He got rich and became a snob,” said Malik Obama of his brother, speaking with the Post over Skype from his home in Nyang’oma Kogelo, Kenya. “What I saw was he was the kind of person that wants people to worship him. He needs to be worshiped and I don’t do that. I am his older brother so I don’t do that.”
Malik Obama has spoken of his poor relationship with his younger brother before, consistently claiming that President Obama has neglected to maintain a relationship with his Kenyan side of the family.
Malik, who is a naturalized citizen of the United States who lives in Kenya, openly endorsed Donald Trump for President in a 2015 development that was somewhat embarrassing to Barack Obama, going on to speak about his conservative views in an interview with Sean Hannity, and his poor relationship with his brother.
Malik Obama recounted one major feud between the brothers during the beginning of Obama’s presidency, in which his younger brother tried to prevent him from starting a foundation called the ‘Barack Obama Foundation,’ in reference to the senior Obama, as opposed to the younger.
“We had a big fight on the phone because he was not in support and insisted I shut down the website and not continue with the foundation. He had his reasons but I was not having any of it,” Malik told the Post. “We talked late into the night that night. He threatened to ‘cut me off’ if I continued with the idea.”
Malik Obama confirmed that he’s still a Donald Trump supporter, raising concerns about Joe Biden’s mental acuity and fitness to be President. “I don’t think he’s going to make it. His teeth are falling off,” said Malik of his brother’s former Vice President. “He looks like he’s going to drop dead.”
Quite the interesting family feud.