US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has pulled another surprise by inviting President Barack Obama’s half-brother to the last presidential debate with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
Malik Obama, 58, told the New York Post on Tuesday that he was “excited” to attend the third and last presidential debate, which will be taking place in Las Vegas on Wednesday night.
“I’m excited to be at the debate. Trump can make America great again,” Malik told the newspaper.
Trump himself said he was “looking forward” to meet the president’s Kenyan-born half-brother, saying, “He gets it far better than his brother.”
The New York businessman shocked reporters and political observers last week, when he invited several women who had accused former President Bill Clinton of sexual abuse.
In his interview with The Post, Malik Obama said the mainstream media were biased against Trump. He also dismissed allegations of sexual misconduct put forward by some women against Trump.
“I don’t believe them,” Malik said. “Why didn’t they come forward before?”
Malik, who is three years older than the outgoing president, said the two last met in the White House last year, describing the meeting as “very businesslike, very formal.”
As an American citizen who lives in Washington, DC, Malik had announced his support for Trump in July. He is still registered to vote in the US state of Maryland, where he once resided.
The longtime Democrat, said back then that he had switched to “the party of [former US president Abraham] Lincoln” because of his “deep disappointment” in the Obama administration.
“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," Malik toldThe Post.
More special guests
The Trump campaign has also invited Pat Smith, whose son Sean died in the 2012 attack on a US diplomatic compound in Benghazi.
Clinton, who was the secretary of state back then, has long been criticized for her actions before and during the attack.
A senior campaign staffer confirmed that Obama and Smith would attend the debate, adding that the campaign might announce more surprise guests ahead of the televised event.
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