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Jesse Jackson Jr. Criticizes Former Democratic Presidents After Memorial Service
The late reverend's son says the presidents "do not know" his father.
Published on Mar. 9, 2026
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Jesse Jackson Jr., the eldest son of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., criticized former Democratic presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Bill Clinton for their tributes at his father's memorial service, saying they "do not know" the late civil rights leader.
Why it matters
The comments from Jesse Jackson Jr. highlight the complex relationship between the Jackson family and the Democratic political establishment, as the elder Jackson maintained an independent and sometimes critical stance towards party leaders despite being a prominent figure in the party.
The details
During a memorial service on Saturday at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters in Chicago, Jesse Jackson Jr. said the former presidents who spoke at his father's larger memorial service on Friday "do not know" the late reverend. He said his father "maintained a tense relationship with the political order" because his message "demanded not Democratic or Republican solutions, but demanded a consistent, prophetic voice that at no point in time sold us out as a people."
- The larger memorial service honoring Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. took place on Friday.
- The final memorial service at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition headquarters was held on Saturday.
The players
Jesse Jackson Jr.
The eldest son of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. and a former congressman seeking to win back his seat in Congress in the upcoming midterm elections.
Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.
A prominent civil rights leader who died last month at the age of 84 after battling a rare neurological disorder.
Barack Obama
The former Democratic president who spoke at the larger memorial service on Friday.
Joe Biden
The former Democratic president who spoke at the larger memorial service on Friday.
Bill Clinton
The former Democratic president who spoke at the larger memorial service on Friday.
What they’re saying
“Yesterday, I listened for several hours of three United States presidents who do not know Jesse Jackson.”
— Jesse Jackson Jr., Son of Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.
“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.”
— Jesse Jackson Jr., Son of Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.
What’s next
Jesse Jackson Jr. is seeking to win back his former congressional seat in the upcoming midterm elections this fall.
The takeaway
The comments from Jesse Jackson Jr. highlight the complex and sometimes tense relationship between the Jackson family and the Democratic political establishment, as the elder Jackson maintained an independent and critical stance towards party leaders despite being a prominent figure in the party.
