Former Presidents Biden and Obama Slam President Donald Trump at Jesse Jackson Funeral

A high-profile public memorial for civil-rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson was held on March 6, 2026, in Chicago’s South Side at the 10,000-seat House of Hope and drew thousands of mourners, clergy, civic leaders and performers.

“Short summary (based on the excerpt you pasted): Civil-rights leader Rev”

ABC News

The event was organized by Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition and followed earlier services and a lying-in-state in South Carolina as officials and communities marked Jackson’s death at 84.

ABC News

Scheduled speakers and attendees included former President Barack Obama, President Joe Biden, former President Bill Clinton and Vice President Kamala Harris, along with numerous local and national figures.

Organizers expected large crowds, video tributes and musical performances.

Former President Barack Obama used his remarks at the service to praise Jackson’s lifetime of activism and to deliver a sharp critique of President Donald Trump and threats to democratic norms, a line of argument echoed across international and national coverage.

Multiple outlets reported that Obama invoked Jackson’s role in expanding Black political power and warned that democratic institutions need defending—remarks that drew the loudest reception of the day.

actuniort.fr

Reporters described Obama’s speech as both a tribute and an explicit political rebuke delivered from the funeral stage.

President Joe Biden used his remarks to criticize the current White House’s direction, often without naming President Trump directly.

“This is a cookie/subscription notice from ANSA (not a news story)”

ANSA Latina

His off‑the‑cuff anecdote about a childhood stutter attracted intense attention and social‑media reaction.

Coverage noted Biden’s attempt to humanize speech impediments and to connect Jackson’s example to the need for unity, even as some outlets and commentators highlighted awkward lines and viral moments from his delivery.

Speakers and tributes repeatedly emphasized Jackson's decades-long work on voting rights, economic justice, anti-apartheid activism and diplomacy, portraying him as a relentless advocate for the poor whose campaigns in the 1980s broadened political participation.

Coverage recalled his Rainbow/PUSH leadership, his role as a diplomatic emissary who negotiated for U.S. prisoners overseas, and his long dedication to civil-rights organizing despite health challenges in later years.

avandatimes

The memorial underscored broader political symbolism, with a roster of prominent Democrats filling the program and the crowd while former President Donald Trump did not attend.

“Thanks — I can do that”

Block Club Chicago

Plans for a Washington, D.C. tribute remained uncertain after House Speaker Mike Johnson declined a request to have Jackson lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol.

Block Club Chicago

Reporters highlighted logistical details such as long lines, vendors selling memorabilia, video tributes, a heavy police presence and streaming coverage.

They also noted contrasting reactions on social media and among political leaders to both the tributes and the speeches.