Jesse Jackson Jr. Slams Obama and Biden for Attacking Trump at Father’s Funeral
- Jesse Jackson Jr. has criticised several Democratic leaders for turning his father’s memorial into what he described as a political platform
- He accused former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden of using their speeches to take aim at Donald Trump instead of focusing on the civil rights icon’s legacy
- The comments have sparked debate online about whether the funeral of Jesse Jackson should have remained free of political attacks
Source: Getty Images
UNITED STATES — The funeral of legendary US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson has sparked political controversy after his son criticised prominent Democrats for turning the memorial into what he described as a “political boxing ring.”
According to the NY Post, during a private memorial service following the public ceremony in Chicago on 6 March 2026, Jesse Jackson Jr. accused several Democratic leaders of using the occasion to attack US President Donald Trump instead of focusing on his father’s legacy.
Jackson Jr. specifically called out former presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Bill Clinton for what he described as “grandstanding” during their eulogies.
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Jackson says they didn't know his father
Speaking emotionally at the gathering held at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters in Chicago, Jackson Jr. said the speeches delivered during Friday’s high-profile memorial service failed to reflect the true spirit of his father’s activism.
“Yesterday, I listened for several hours to three United States presidents who do not know Jesse Jackson,” he said.
He argued that his father spent his life challenging the political establishment rather than aligning himself with one party.
“He maintained a tense relationship with the political order, not because the presidents were white or black, but because the demands of our message were greater than partisan politics,” Jackson Jr. said.
According to him, the late civil rights icon consistently advocated for society’s most marginalised people, the “disinherited, the damned, the dispossessed and the disrespected.”
Leaders take aim at Trump
Jackson’s funeral, held at Chicago’s House of Hope Church, drew a host of prominent political figures and celebrities.
During his address, Obama warned about what he described as threats to democratic institutions in the United States.
“Each day we’re told by those in high office to fear each other and to turn on each other,” Obama said.
Biden echoed similar concerns, suggesting the current administration does not share the values many Americans hold.
Clinton, however, largely avoided politics in his remarks, focusing instead on his friendship with Jackson and the civil rights leader’s decades-long activism.
More on Jesse Jackson and his death
Jackson, who died last month at the age of 84 at his Chicago home, was widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the US civil rights movement. He passed away peacefully on Tuesday, 17 February 2026. He was surrounded by his family at the time of his passing. He had been hospitalised in recent months for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Reverend Jackson was a protégé of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr and known for his mantra, 'Keep hope alive' Jackson was the first Black man to run for president of the US, and his campaign redefined the Democratic Party.
Source: Twitter
Obama blasts Trump ahead of Biden election
Previously, Briefly News reported that former US President Barack Obama accused Donald Trump of undoing many of the achievements of his administration during his time in the White House. Obama also criticised Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing that the former president ignored a pandemic response “playbook” that had been prepared and handed over when the administration changed.
He went on to endorse Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris, saying they were best positioned to put the United States back on track after what he described as years of mismanagement.
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Source: Briefly News
