Praise for civil rights icon Jesse Jackson sparks a flood of responses
Reactions are pouring in from across the country to honor civil rights icon Jesse Jackson, who has passed away at the age of 84.
- Civil rights icon Reverend Jesse Jackson has died at the age of 84, his organization announced.
- Mr. Jackson and President Donald Trump were once friends, with Mr. Trump providing office space to Mr. Jackson’s Rainbow/PUSH coalition in the 1990s.
- President Trump sent his condolences to Truth Social, calling Jackson a “good man” and noting their past friendship.
Renowned civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson passed away on February 17th at the age of 84.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Rev. Jesse Lewis Jackson Sr., a civil rights leader and founder of the Rainbow Push Coalition,” the group said in a statement. “He passed away peacefully on Tuesday morning surrounded by his family.”
Mr. Jackson had a storied public career, advocating alongside Martin Luther King Jr., running for the Democratic presidential nomination twice, and winning the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
He has fought for years to expand the Democratic Party, but met President Donald Trump long before the New York businessman became the face of the Republican Party. In fact, they once considered themselves friends. Here’s what you need to know:
Jesse Jackson once worked with Trump before supporting his opponent
Before entering politics, Mr. Trump donated some office space in Manhattan to Mr. Jackson’s Rainbow Push coalition. The New York Times reported in 1997 that Mr. Jackson and his organization were heading to Wall Street to pressure companies to promote black and minority employees internally.
At a 1999 press conference about the project, Jackson introduced Trump, calling him a “friend” and saying, “As far as reaching out and being inclusive, that’s what he’s done, too.”
“Jesse started by saying, ‘Most of the wealth in this country is in the hands of a few people.’ And I thought: Is that a bad thing?” Trump said at a news conference, drawing laughs. He noted that Jackson had asked for office space to be provided free of charge. “He’s a very tough negotiator… No, he’s a great guy. We love him and I’m here for him.”
Fast forward to the 2016 election, and Jackson supported Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. Speaking to Bloomberg TV about her relationship with Trump at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, Jackson recalled that Jackson was “amiable and outgoing,” but that things started to change when Trump promoted pro-baby causes. Mr. Jackson had criticized Mr. Trump’s campaign messages on foreign policy, immigration policy and repealing Obamacare.
“These ideas are not just conservative, they’re a little off-topic, and they have the potential to destabilize the country,” he told Bloomberg. He also declined to say whether Trump is a racist, saying he did not want to run a campaign about “branding.”
In 2020, Jackson supported Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary. Jackson was honored as a civil rights icon at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, where he appeared on stage in a wheelchair and received a standing ovation.
What did Donald Trump say about Jesse Jackson’s death?
President Trump posted on Truth Social on February 17, talking about his previous relationship and claiming it refuted accusations that he is a racist.
“I knew him well before he became president. He was a great guy, with a lot of personality, grit, and ‘street smarts.’ He was very sociable and truly loved people! ” the post read.
“He loved his family very much. We send our deepest sympathies and condolences to them. Jesse will be greatly missed!”
Did Jesse Jackson really hate Obama?
Trump’s Truth social post also said Jackson helped elect former President Barack Obama, “someone Jesse couldn’t stand.”
Mr. Jackson himself is a two-time presidential candidate and has publicly supported Mr. Obama. However, during the 2008 campaign, Mr. Jackson made critical comments about Mr. Obama, which he later apologized for and said he thought were off the record.
As a CBS News reporter who interviewed him the next morning recounted, Jackson cried when Obama won that election.
“Today, we are a better America,” Jackson told CBS in 2008. “America is a work in progress, and last night we saw that work expressed in the greatest way.”
Contributing: Reuters; Trevor Hughes and Rachel Barber of USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is a Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Please contact KCrowley@usatodayco.com. follow her X (Twitter), blue sky and TikTok.
