Isiah Thomas draws attention calling Harris and Clinton ‘presidents’ at Jesse Jackson funeral

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: During the funeral for civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, Isiah Thomas caused a stir when he called both Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton ‘presidents.’

Thomas, a former star for the Detroit Pistons, spoke at a public service in Chicago on Friday to honor Jackson's life and legacy.

He talked about important leaders who were there during the speech and called Harris and Clinton presidents, which got a lot of attention from people who watched and talked about the event.

Isiah Thomas mentions five former presidents at Jesse Jackson funeral

As one of several high-profile speakers at the funeral for Rev. Jesse Jackson in Chicago on Friday, Thomas mentioned the “five” former presidents in attendance.

It wasn’t a slip of Thomas’ tongue.

He went on to call them “President Harris” and “President Clinton,” drawing a standing ovation from the crowd, as well as smiles and laughter from former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, seated next to each other in the front pew.

“I’d like to honour the five presidents who are sitting here today — President Harris,” Thomas said.

Thomas spoke for more than 15 minutes, fighting back tears. He called Jackson “our Chicago Nelson Mandela.”

During his tribute, Thomas spoke about Jackson’s influence and the political leaders present at the service.

While referencing prominent figures, he referred to Harris and Clinton as presidents despite neither having held the office.

“We thank you for the courage, we thank you for the faith, we thank you for believing in us,” Thomas said. “He had a way of connecting personally with us … when he said, ‘Keep hope alive.’

“For us and all of you here from Chicago, in the ’60s, we felt like there was no hope, hope was lost, hope was gone. This man gave us hope, gave us life, gave us energy."

Major political leaders attend Jesse Jackson funeral

The ceremony brought together major political figures, civil rights leaders, and thousands of mourners who gathered to remember Jackson, one of the most influential figures in modern American civil rights activism.

Several well-known Democratic leaders, such as Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Bill Clinton, were there.

Harris, Clinton, and many other political and community leaders were also at the service to honor the longtime civil rights activist.

Thomas, 64, was born and raised in Chicago and played collegiately at Indiana before going on to a Hall-of-Fame career with the Pistons, winning two NBA championships.

Jackson, who made two long-shot bids for the presidency in the 1980s and even won the Democratic primary in Michigan in 1988, died Feb. 17 at age 84.

The funeral service for Jackson was held at the House of Hope church on Chicago’s South Side and lasted several hours, featuring speeches, tributes, and gospel performances celebrating his decades-long career in activism and politics.