Barack Obama created quite a stir when he gestured towards Gavin Newsom during the high-profile funeral of Democratic icon Rev. Jesse Jackson in Chicago on Friday.

Positioned between Bill Clinton and Joe Biden, the former president made eye contact with the California governor, igniting widespread speculation.

The gathering of Democratic leaders at Chicago’s House of Hope church quickly turned to discussions about Newsom’s potential candidacy in the 2028 presidential race.

Nearby, on Obama’s right, sat Kamala Harris, another possible 2028 contender, who has been hinting at another presidential bid.

The Democratic contender will likely seek support from Obama, whose delayed endorsement of Harris previously foreshadowed her loss to Donald Trump.

Attending solo, Obama was spotted sharing lighthearted moments with fellow former presidents Biden and Clinton, alongside Jill Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the front row.

Jackson, remembered as a ‘living bridge’ between the era of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and modern civil rights movements, died on February 17 aged 84 after a battle with a rare neurological disorder.

President Donald Trump, who praised Jackson on social media after his death and shared photos of the two together, was absent, his public schedule confirmed. 

Former President Barack Obama gestures to Gavin Newsom at the funeral for Rev. Jesse Jackson at the House of Hope in Chicago, Friday

The eventual nominee will be hoping from heavyweight endorsements from the likes of Obama, whose reluctance to endorse Harris until the eleventh hour proved prescient in her defeat to Donald Trump 

Former presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham and former first lady Dr. Jill Biden attend a celebration of life service for civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. at the House of Hope arena on March 6

Governor of Illinois JB Pritzker attends a memorial service to celebrate the life of the civil rights leader, Reverend Jesse Jackson, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., March 6

Tyler Perry attends the Public Homegoing Service for Rev. Jesse Jackson at the House of Hope in Chicago, Friday

Cornel West attends a memorial service to celebrate the life of the civil rights leader, Reverend Jesse Jackson, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., March 6

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich attends a celebration of life service for civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. at the House of Hope arena on March 6

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks during the Public Homegoing Service for the Rev. Jesse Jackson at the House of Hope in Chicago, Friday

Governor of Illinois JB Pritzker speaks during a memorial service to celebrate the life of the civil rights leader, Reverend Jesse Jackson, in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., March 6

Crowds waited in long lines outside the church on the city’s South Side as television screens played excerpts of some of Jackson’s most famous speeches.

Clinton and Biden received cheers and applause as they arrived, but it was ‘the South Side’s own, President Barack Obama,’ as an announcer described him, who received the loudest round of applause as he entered the chamber. 

Inside, vendors sold pins bearing his 1984 presidential slogan and hoodies carrying his ‘I Am Somebody’ mantra, while a choir sang as attendees photographed a large panel emblazoned with his rallying cry: ‘keep hope alive.’

Along with a slew of Illinois elected leaders, notable attendees included actor and producer Tyler Perry, and political activist and theologian Cornel West. 

Among the crowd was Mary Lovett, 90, who said Jackson’s advocacy had inspired her across a lifetime, from her move from Mississippi to Chicago in the 1960s through her years teaching elementary school and raising a family.

She voted for Jackson in both his presidential runs and appreciated how he always spoke up for underrepresented people. 

‘He’s gone, but I hope his legacy lives,’ Lovett said. ‘I hope we can remember what he tried to teach us.’

Marketing professional Chelsia Bryan said she came because it was ‘a chance to be part of something historic.’ 

Guests, including former presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden, attend a celebration of life service for civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. at the House of Hope arena 

People attend a memorial service for late civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson, in Chicago

Guests, including former presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham and former first lady Dr. Jill Biden attend a celebration of life service for civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.

‘As a black woman, knowing that someone pretty much gave their life, dedicated their life to make sure I can do the things that I can do now, he’s worth honoring,’ Bryan said.

Jesse Jackson Jr. said all were welcome to celebrate his father’s life. 

‘Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative, right wing, left wing because his life is broad enough to cover the full spectrum of what it means to be an American,’ Jackson Jr. said last month. ‘Dad would have wanted us to have a great meeting to discuss our differences, to find ways of moving forward and moving together.’

Jackson was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2017 and spent his final months battling progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), a rare disorder that robbed him of his mobility and ability to speak.  

Family members said he continued coming into the office until last year, communicating through hand signals. His final public appearance was at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

His son, Yusef Jackson, who runs the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, recalled how his father carried a well-worn Bible but also showed his faith by showing up to picket lines.

‘He lived a revolutionary Christian faith rooted in justice, nonviolence and the moral righteousness,’ Yusef Jackson said Friday.

‘He was deeply involved in the political struggles of his time, but his gift was that he could rise above them. It’s not about the left wing or the right wing. It takes two wings to fly. For him, the goal was always the moral center.’  

Services in Chicago and South Carolina drew civic leaders, school groups and ordinary mourners touched by his work, from scholarship programs to prison advocacy. Several states flew flags at half-staff in his honor.  

A Washington, DC service was shelved after House Speaker Mike Johnson denied a request for Jackson to lie in honor in the Capitol rotunda, saying the space is typically reserved for former presidents and select officials. No details on a future event have been made public.  

Jackson was a close associate of MLK in the 1960s, joining the Selma-to-Montgomery marches in 1965 where he caught King’s attention, and was present at his assassination in Memphis in 1968.

He went on to mount two landmark presidential campaigns, in 1984 and 1988, becoming the first Black candidate to win multiple primary contests in a major party race.

As a diplomatic envoy he secured the release of American prisoners from Syria, Iraq and Serbia.

He founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition in 1996, which became a vehicle for pressuring corporate America on diversity, and served as President Clinton’s special envoy for Africa.

He is survived by his wife and six children.