Just hours after we got the sad news, former US presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton led tributes to Jesse Jackson, who has died at 84. For example, Biden called him "a man of God and of the people," while Obama described him as "a true giant" whose 1980s presidential campaigns paved the way for future generations of leaders. Meanwhile, Clinton praised Jackson's lifelong commitment to expanding opportunity and human dignity.
Civil rights leaders and senior Democrats also honored Jackson's legacy. Al Sharpton remembered him as a transformative mentor, while Kamala Harris called him "one of America's greatest patriots," recalling her early support for his presidential run. Senator Bernie Sanders said Jackson broke down barriers few could have imagined.
Jackson, who worked alongside Martin Luther King Jr., founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and twice sought the Democratic presidential nomination, building broad, multiracial political coalitions. His advocacy for racial justice, voting rights, and economic equality spanned more than six decades.
Another president to comment was President Donald Trump, who also paid tribute, calling Jackson a "good man" and noting past cooperation, though his remarks quickly turned political, as you can read in the post below.
Donald Trump on Truth Social:
The Reverend Jesse Jackson is Dead at 84. I knew him well, long before becoming President. He was a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and "street smarts." He was very gregarious - Someone who truly loved people! Despite the fact that I am falsely and consistently called a Racist by the Scoundrels and Lunatics on the Radical Left, Democrats ALL, it was always my pleasure to help Jesse along the way. I provided office space for him and his Rainbow Coalition, for years, in the Trump Building at 40 Wall Street; Responded to his request for help in getting CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM passed and signed, when no other President would even try; Single handedly pushed and passed long term funding for Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), which Jesse loved, but also, which other Presidents would not do; Responded to Jesse's support for Opportunity Zones, the single most successful economic development package yet approved for Black business men/women, and much more. Jesse was a force of nature like few others before him. He had much to do with the Election, without acknowledgment or credit, of Barack Hussein Obama, a man who Jesse could not stand. He loved his family greatly, and to them I send my deepest sympathies and condolences. Jesse will be missed! President DONALD J. TRUMP