‘They do not know Jesse Jackson’: Jackson Jr blasts Clinton, Obama, Biden at his father's funeral

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Jesse Jackson Jr criticized former presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Bill Clinton, accusing them of turning his father’s funeral into a platform for political messaging.

Speaking during the homegoing celebration for civil rights leader Jesse Jackson on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters in Chicago, Jackson Jr said the Democratic leaders did not know the "real Jesse Jackson."

His remarks came a day after the former presidents paid tribute to the veteran activist.

Jesse Jackson Jr targets Obama, Biden, Clinton remarks

Jesse Jackson Jr delivered a pointed critique of three former Democratic presidents, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden, during his father’s memorial service.

Speaking on Saturday, March 7, he said he had listened for hours to the remarks of the former presidents and argued that they did not truly know his father, civil rights leader Jesse Jackson. "Yesterday I listened for several hours of three United States presidents who do not know Jesse Jackson."

Jackson Jr said his father often maintained a tense relationship with the political establishment, not because of the presidents’ race but because of the principles he championed.

He shared, “He maintained a tense relationship with the political order, not because the presidents were White or Black, but the demands of our message, the demands of speaking for the least of these, those who are disinherited, the damned, the dispossessed, the disrespected, demanded not Democratic or

Republican solutions, but demanded a consistent, prophetic voice that at no point in time sold us out as a people.” Instead, he said his father insisted on a steady, prophetic voice that never compromised the interests of the people he represented.

What did Democratic leaders say at Jesse Jackson's funeral?

Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, and civil rights activist Al Sharpton used their eulogies to criticize Donald Trump, his policies, and his vision for the country.

As the crowd applauded, Harris told attendees she had anticipated many of the developments unfolding today. She said she was not trying to say “I told you so,” but added that the warning signs had been visible.

Obama also reflected on the state of the nation under the current leadership. Though he did not mention Trump by name, his remarks drew loud cheers and applause from the audience gathered at the House of Hope in Chicago.

He said, "Americans count more than others, and that some don’t even count at all. Everywhere we see greed and bigotry, being celebrated and bullying and mockery masquerading as strength. It’s hard to hope in those moments."

Biden echoed similar concerns as he criticized the administration that followed his time in the Oval Office. He said, "We are in a tough spot, foks. We’ve got an administration that doesn’t share any of the values that we have. And I don’t think I’m exaggerating a little bit."

Sharpton delivered a more direct call to action, urging people to focus on organizing within their own communities. He said the real power lay in what people chose to do locally, adding that communities had overcome leaders stronger than Trump in the past.

Former president Bill Clinton took a different tone, focusing less on politics and more on his personal relationship with Jesse Jackson. Clinton said he attended the service primarily as a friend, recalling that Jackson had stood by him when he needed support.