Biden tells crowd at Jesse Jackson’s funeral: 'I’m a hell of a lot smarter than most of you'

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Former President Joe Biden attended the memorial service of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson on Friday, March 6, delivering remarks that reflected on Jackson’s life and shared personal stories from his own past.

The service followed Jackson’s passing at the age of 84 after a battle with progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare neurodegenerative disorder. Several prominent political figures were also present at the ceremony.

Biden reflects on Jesse Jackson’s life and personal struggles

At the memorial service, Biden addressed the Jackson family and spoke about loss, remembrance, and hope while reflecting on the legacy of Jackson. “I know we're celebrating a life, but it's a life lost,” Biden said.

He added, “Having lost a wife and daughter and son, it's cold out of the blue, it's not easy. No matter how much you loved them, no matter how close you were.” Biden also spoke about the lasting impact Jackson left behind: “That's the big thing that's left. He left you something that no one else could.”

He reflected on lessons from his upbringing, recalling what he learned about perseverance and hope: “I was raised with the notion that hope is all you really have. You can't give up hope. My dad used to say, when you get knocked down, Joey, just get up, just get up.”

The former president also spoke about personal challenges from his childhood. “As a kid, I was a relatively good athlete, a pretty good student, but I stutter to talk, talk, talk like that,” he said. He explained that people often reacted differently to a stutter than to other conditions.

“Now, if I told you all earlier, when I was a kid, I had a cleft palate or club foot, none of you would have laughed, but it's okay to laugh and stutter,” Biden said. He added that people sometimes assume those who stutter are unintelligent: “It's the one place where people think you're stupid. Oh, really? I'm a hell of a lot smarter than most of you.”

Online reactions to Biden’s remarks

Following the speech, Biden’s remarks quickly circulated online and drew widespread attention. One user mocked the speech, writing, “This moment was so awkward even the casket wanted to close early.”

Another user commented, “That’s what happens when he watches Gavin Newsom on shows!”

Some comments were critical of the former president personally, “Oh for the day when we never hear of or see this guy again.”

Another commentator said, “Why does his wife let him speak in public? Shame on her.”

One critic criticized Biden’s public speaking, “In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king.”

Another netizen wrote, “He's always been a dreadful politician. Many view him as a nice old man. No, he's just a dreadful old man.”

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online