Jesse Jackson Jr. Slams Biden, Obama, Clinton at late father’s memorial

During his father’s duty Memorial ceremony on SaturdayJesse Jackson Jr. harshly rebuked the praise given by former Democratic presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, noting that the trio shared one thing in common: they didn’t really know his father.

“For several hours yesterday I listened to three US presidents who did not know Jesse Jackson.” Jackson Jr. he said on Saturday.

The priest’s son expressed the idea that his father’s life was defined not by the ‘political order’ but by devotion to the marginalized.

“He has maintained a tense relationship with the political establishment, not because presidents are White or Black, but because of the demands of our message, demands that they speak at least on behalf of the disinherited, the damned, the dispossessed, the disrespected; Democratic or Republican solutions, but we demanded a consistent, prophetic voice that would never sell us out as a people,” Jackson Jr. continued.

Jesse Jackson died in Chicago on February 17 at the age of 84.

Following Pastor Jackson’s death, his son held a press conference and demanded that politics be kept out of the services and the focus be on Jackson’s legacy.

“Do not bring your politics into these ongoing services out of respect for the Rev. Jesse Jackson and the life he lived. Come respectfully and come to say thank you. But these ongoing services are welcomed by EVERYONE – Democrat, Republican, liberal and conservative. Right, left. Because his life is broad enough to encompass the full spectrum of what it means to be an American.” Jackson Jr. He said in February:the day after his father’s death.

The former Vice President was among the notable attendees paying tribute in Chicago to the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, a longtime civil rights leader, two-time Democratic presidential candidate and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. Kamala Harrisformer Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Rev. Al Sharpton and California Governor Gavin Newsom.

BIDEN SAID ‘I’M MUCH SMARTER THAN MOST OF YOU’ ABOUT GATHERING AT JESSE JACKSON’S FUNERAL

Barack Obama and Joe Biden at the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson’s People’s Celebration of Life and Homecoming Services at the House of Hope arena in Chicago, Illinois on March 06, 2026. (Deadline via Earl Gibson III/Getty Images)

Obama, Clinton and Biden spoke at Jackson’s funeral.

Obama It was reported that he was aiming “Every day we wake up to a new attack on our democratic institutions,” he told President Donald Trump during his speech.

Bill Clinton He described Jackson as a friend and recalled his conversation with the pastor during his dismissal.

Biden At the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s memorial service on Friday, she told mourners that he was “a lot smarter than most of you”; is a pointed remark that stood out during the tribute to the late civil rights leader. Biden made the comment while describing how he was made fun of as a child for his stutter, and how his speech impediments were often mistaken for a lack of intelligence.

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Former U.S. president Joe Biden speaks at a public memorial service celebrating the life of civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson on March 6, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Kamil Krzaczynski / AFP via Getty Images)

Overall, the memorial focused largely on Jackson’s legacy as a civil rights leader who helped shape the modern Democratic Party and expand political participation in the United States.

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Fox News’ Patrick McGovern, Greg Norman-Diamond and Bradford Betz contributed to this report.

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