Kamala Harris, Barack Obama use Jesse Jackson funeral to unload on Trump
Share this @internewscast.com

While President Trump was absent from the high-profile memorial service for the Rev. Jesse Jackson, his presence was keenly felt through the speeches of several prominent figures.


Stay updated with The Post for real-time reports and insights on President Trump and national political developments.


Notable speakers including Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Al Sharpton took the opportunity to criticize the president, his administration, and his vision for the country during their tributes.

In her remarks, Kamala Harris confidently stated, “Let me just say I predicted a lot about what’s happening right now,” eliciting enthusiastic applause from the audience. “I’m not into saying I told you so, but we did see it coming.”

Although Harris refrained from naming Trump directly, her comments were clearly aimed at his leadership. Trump had decisively defeated her in the 2024 presidential race.

She continued, “But what I did not predict is that we would not have Jesse Jackson with us right now to help us get through this,” expressing a sense of loss felt by many at the service.

Obama, for his part, described the state of the country under Trump’s leadership.

“Each day we wake up to some new assault on our Democratic institutions, another setback to the idea of the rule of law, an offense to common decency. Every day you wake up to, to things you just didn’t think were possible,” he said.

Obama also didn’t mention Trump’s name but his meaning was clear. And the crowd at Chicago’s House of Hope stood in applause, cheering as he spoke.

“Each day, we’re told by those in high office to fear each other and to turn on each other, and that some Americans count more than others, and that some don’t even count at all,” Obama said. “Everywhere we see greed and bigotry, being celebrated and bullying and mockery masquerading as strength.

“It’s hard to hope in those moments,” Obama said, adding it was tempting to “maybe just put your head down and wait for the storm to pass.”

Jackson wouldn’t have wanted that, he insisted.

“But this man, Reverend Jesse Lewis Jackson, inspires us to take a harder path. His voice calls on each of us to be heralds of change, to be messengers of hope.”

Trump spent the day at the White House, in meetings on the Iran war and hosting college sports reps.

“President Donald Trump was unable to attend Jackson’s funeral due to scheduling and ongoing events, and has recorded a video message in tribute,” a White House official told The Post.

Biden also had words for the man who replaced him in the Oval Office.

“We’re in a tough spot, folks. 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,” he said.

Sharpton was more blunt, giving out a rallying cry to the crowd: “I don’t care what they do in Washington, I care what we do in the community. We’ve beat people bigger than Trump!”

The packed service included former presidents – Bill Clinton, Obama and Biden – and several presidential wannabes, including Hillary Clinton, Gavin Newsom and JB Pritzker. Democrats filled the room, including Jill Biden and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Isaiah Thomas, the legendary basketball player, noted the all-star row of politicians in the audience, saying there were “five presidents” in attendance.

Then he named them: President Harris, President Hillary Clinton, President Bill Clinton, President Biden, and President Obama.

The crowd applauded his words.

George W. Bush, the former Republican president, was not in attendance. Neither was Michelle Obama. But gospel singers, business executives and other prominent members of the black community crowded the center on the South Side of Chicago.

The memorial service was a celebration of Jackson, his life and role in shaping American politics.

He died last month at his Chicago home at 84.

Obama credited Jackson’s first White House campaign with inspiring his own presidential campaign 24 years later.

The former president noted he had just graduated from college when Jackson ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984, saying watching him on the debate stage showed “there wasn’t any place, any room where we didn’t belong.”

“He paved the road for so many others to follow,” Obama said on Friday.

Obama also blamed Jackson for his move to Chicago, joking: “I definitely didn’t know how I was going to survive these Chicago winters, because I grew up in Hawaii.”

Still, Obama said it was because of Jackson that he was taken seriously as a candidate when he made his own presidential bid in 2008.

“It was because of that path that he had laid, because of his courage, his audacity that two decades later, a young black senator from Chicago’s South Side would even be taken seriously as a candidate for the presidential nomination,” Obama said.

Bill Clinton warmly remembered Jackson as a friend through good times and bad.

And that friendship came in the form of a shocking phone call the reverend made during his 1998 impeachment.

“When the Congress was trying to run me out and I was in that big impeachment fight, Jesse called me one night in the White House,” Clinton said, noting he has never told this story before. Clinton was impeached by the House in 1998 on charges of lying under oath and obstruction of justice. The Senate later acquitted him.

“I thought he was calling me,” Clinton recalled, “but he said, I don’t want to talk to you. I want you to go get Chelsea.”

“He called me to talk to my daughter, to make sure she had her head in the game, and he prayed with her on the phone.”

Clinton said he was at a political low point and it was unclear if he would be able to stay in office. “Those are the things you remember,” he said of Jackson reaching out.

“I’m here more as a friend than a former president,” Clinton said. “He was my friend when I needed it.”

“Ask yourself how you can do more by being a better friend and a more effective one.”

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Father of slain 20-year-old killed by illegal immigrant issues stark warning after Sheridan Gorman killing

Heartbroken Father Warns Against Risks Posed by Illegal Immigrants After Tragic Loss of Daughter, Sheridan Gorman

The father of a young woman tragically killed by an undocumented immigrant…
Violent teen ‘fight club’ on SoCal beach draws hundreds of bloodthirsty spectators

Shocking SoCal Beach ‘Fight Club’ Draws Hundreds: Inside the Disturbing Teen Brawl Phenomenon

One of San Diego’s most prestigious coastal areas is grappling with turmoil…
California woman caught on camera smashing ex-boyfriend’s Tesla after breakup

California Woman Faces Legal Trouble After Allegedly Vandalizing Ex’s Tesla in Viral Video

A woman’s vengeful act against her ex-boyfriend’s Tesla was caught on camera,…
What to know about Trump's executive order to pay TSA officers and its impact on airport security lines

Everything You Need to Know About Trump’s Executive Order Affecting TSA Officer Pay and Airport Security Line Efficiency

As spring break unfolds, travelers are facing prolonged waits at major U.S.…
Vance assembles cabinet secretaries for first anti-fraud task force meeting

Vance Convenes Cabinet Secretaries for Inaugural Anti-Fraud Task Force Meeting

WASHINGTON — On Friday, Vice President JD Vance convened a meeting with…
U.S. forces striking Iranian naval vessel

Iran Resolute in Pursuit of ‘Complete Victory’ Amid Significant Military Setbacks

An Iranian military official declared on Tuesday that Tehran’s forces remain committed…
Hollywood Boulevard Cinema in Woodridge, Illinois auctions movie memorabilia to make way for renovation

Woodridge’s Hollywood Boulevard Cinema Hosts Unique Auction for Movie Memorabilia Ahead of Renovation

WOODRIDGE, Ill. (WLS) — In a bid to secure its future, a…
Who actually runs Iran right now? The key power players as Trump claims talks to 'top' official

Who Holds the Reins in Iran? Key Power Players Amidst Trump’s Claims of Engaging with ‘Top’ Officials

“Nobody knows who to talk to,” President Donald Trump remarked at the…
American Airlines flight attendant vanishes during Colombia layover: 'His family is desperate'

Tragic Discovery: Missing American Airlines Flight Attendant Found Dead in Colombia

The mayor of a Colombian town has revealed that a body, likely…
Spanish government's Jimmy Gracey autopsy claims stump forensic expert: 'problem for me'

Forensic Expert Puzzled by Spanish Government’s Autopsy Report on Jimmy Gracey

A seasoned forensic expert is expressing doubts about the Spanish government’s statements…
No Kings protests score City funds to sow chaos in California

City Funds Controversy: How ‘No Kings’ Protests are Sparking Unrest in California

Taxpayer dollars are once again being channeled toward supporting disruptive activism in…
'Viva Cuba!' Activists, pols turn CUNY conference on commie country into anti-American hatefest

Controversy Erupts at CUNY Conference as Activists and Politicians Debate U.S.-Cuba Relations

“Viva la revolución 2.0!” was the rallying cry at a recent conference…