Jesse Jackson death latest: Trump praises civil rights hero’s ‘personality, grit, and street smarts’

“We honor his extraordinary legacy and lifelong devotion to civil rights and human dignity. May his memory be a wellspring of strength and courage for all who continue the sacred work to which he gave his life,” Martin Luther King III and his wife Arndrea Waters King said about Jackson in a statement on social media.

Jesse Jackson’s long career in social activism brought him into contact with some of the world’s biggest personalities, from U.S. presidents (as we’ve seen) to everyone from Fidel Castro, Yasser Arafat and Mandela to Paul Simon.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris honored Jesse Jackson in a heartfelt social media post Tuesday, praising him for showing that “our voices mattered” and for inspiring generations by proving “we were somebody.”

She also reminisced about getting frequent “thumbs up” and honks of support while sporting a “Jesse Jackson for President” bumper sticker in law school.

“As a young law student, I would drive back and forth from Oakland, where I lived, to San Francisco, where I went to school. I had a bumper sticker in the back window of my car that read: ‘Jesse Jackson for President.’ As I would drive across the Bay Bridge, you would not believe how people from every walk of life would give me a thumbs up or honk of support. They were small interactions, but they exemplified Reverend Jackson’s life work — lifting up the dignity of working people, building community and coalitions, and strengthening our democracy and nation.”

“I was proud to partner with and learn from him on this work throughout my career, and I am so grateful for the time we spent together this January. Reverend Jackson was a selfless leader, mentor, and friend to me and so many others,” Harris continued.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani had this to say in Jesse Jackson’s memory.

No sooner had I said that than the president posted the following tribute on Truth Social, which is largely complimentary while also underlining how much he “helped Jesse along the way.”

“The Reverend Jesse Jackson is Dead at 84. I knew him well, long before becoming President. He was a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and ‘street smarts.’ He was very gregarious – Someone who truly loved people! Despite the fact that I am falsely and consistently called a Racist by the Scoundrels and Lunatics on the Radical Left, Democrats ALL, it was always my pleasure to help Jesse along the way. I provided office space for him and his Rainbow Coalition, for years, in the Trump Building at 40 Wall Street; Responded to his request for help in getting CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM passed and signed, when no other President would even try; Single handedly pushed and passed long term funding for Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs), which Jesse loved, but also, which other Presidents would not do; Responded to Jesse’s support for Opportunity Zones, the single most successful economic development package yet approved for Black business men/women, and much more. Jesse was a force of nature like few others before him. He had much to do with the Election, without acknowledgment or credit, of Barack Hussein Obama, a man who Jesse could not stand. He loved his family greatly, and to them I send my deepest sympathies and condolences. Jesse will be missed!”

We have yet to hear from the president on the civil rights leader’s passing but they have had a pretty mixed relationship in the past, with Jackson at one time speaking admiringly of Trump’s support for minority entrepreneurs and later warning against his divisive political rhetoric.

The president did have this to say about Jackson in 1998, which counts as huge praise given Trump’s view of the world.

MLK’s daughter pays her respects.