Donald Trump turns Jesse Jackson’s death into a bizarre personal attack, claims he ‘could not stand’ Barack Obama

The passing of Reverend Jesse Jackson, a giant of the civil rights movement, was marked by a bizarre and highly personal attack launched by President Donald Trump against Barack Obama, just hours after Jackson’s death. You’d think a presidential tribute would stick to celebrating the life of the 84-year-old pioneer, but President Trump decided to use his social media post to make the entire event about himself while throwing serious shade at his predecessor.

President Trump shared his memorial on Truth Social shortly after Jackson died peacefully on Tuesday, with his loved ones by his side. The president started by detailing all the ways he personally assisted the late minister during his time in office. He claimed he gave Jackson office space in one of his buildings, responded directly to requests for criminal justice reform, and passed long-term funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs.

The president made sure to add a personal defense to this list, stating he accomplished all this “despite the fact that I am falsely and consistently called a Racist.” But the tribute quickly took a sharp and unnecessary turn toward politics, according to TMZ.

Trump really can’t help himself but to put his foot in his mouth

After listing his good deeds, President Trump inexplicably decided to bring up Barack Obama. He wrote that Jackson had “much to do with the election, without acknowledgment or credit, of Barack Hussein Obama, a man who Jesse could not stand.” That’s a wild claim to make during a memorial, especially given the history between the two men.

The truth is that Jackson paved the way for Obama’s political success, having famously run for the presidency himself in both 1984 and 1988. Both men also shared deep political roots in Chicago. The idea that Jackson “could not stand” Obama seems to be directly contradicted by the visual evidence from 2008. When Obama won the Oval Office, Jackson was famously photographed with tears streaming down his face. That’s a pretty intense display of emotion for someone who supposedly hated the winner. However, Trump is no stranger to making weird references about race.

It seems President Trump’s assertion likely stems from a highly publicized incident that occurred during the young Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. During that period, Jackson’s relationship with Obama did turn icy for a brief time after Jackson was caught on a hot mic. In that conversation, Jackson made crude comments, stating he wanted to cut Obama’s “nuts off.” Jackson also accused Obama of “talking down to Black people” in the same discussion.

However, Jackson was quick to apologize for the remarks, showing that the spat was temporary and not a sign of deep-seated animosity. Jackson told a reporter at the time that he was a “long-standing supporter” of Obama. He emphasized his commitment to what Obama represented, stating that because of this, he was quick to apologize for any offense or harm his comments might have caused.

It’s truly something else to see a sitting president use a civil rights leader’s memorial to revive old political beefs and make personal attacks. You’d think a moment like this would be reserved for unity and respect, but President Trump simply couldn’t resist making it all about him.