Barack Obama says we live in an America where it’s ‘hard to hope,’ shuts down demands for him to run for a third term

Barack Obama took to the stage at Rev. Jesse Jackson’s funeral to deliver a powerful message to an increasingly worried nation. First, the former president addressed Jackson’s family and honored the legacy of the late civil rights trailblazer. Then he turned to everyone who had been asking him to run for an unconstitutional third term — Obama simply said, “Nah.”

Like many contemporary problems in America, the concern over a “forever president” traces back to President Donald Trump. Since taking office, Trump has shown little inclination to relinquish power. The first major glimpse came when his supporters staged an insurrection on January 6, with virtually no consequences.

After Trump became the 47th president, a new narrative emerged: abolishing the 22nd Amendment to allow him a third term. Instead of contending with early Democratic prospects like Gavin Newsom, who often oscillates in popularity, some liberals began floating the idea that Obama should make an unprecedented return — technically, in an unconstitutional America, nothing would stop him either.

Obama, however, was focused on what Rev. Jackson meant to him personally. He revealed that the late civil rights leader had inspired him back in college. Obama said, “The message he sent to a 22-year-old child of a single mother with a funny name, an outsider, was that maybe there wasn’t any place or any room where we didn’t belong. He paved the road for so many others to follow.”

Throughout his speech, the crowd cheered Obama on, calling for a third term. The former president finally responded to the chants: “Nah, see, I believe in the Constitution.” It’s understandable why, in the face of another war — particularly in a situation where Obama had previously secured a peaceful nuclear deal with Iran — some might feel nostalgic for the “good old days.” Back then, conflicts often had a plan and primary goals that everyone could articulate.

Obama also touched on the chaos of Trump’s administration. He told the crowd, “We are living in a time when it can be hard to hope. 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 things you just didn’t think were possible.”

Obama: "We are living in a time where it can be hard to hope. Each day we wake up to some new assault on our democratic institutions. Another setback to the idea of the rule of law … but this man — Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson — inspires us to take a harder path. His voice calls… pic.twitter.com/o23bpUDp8a

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 6, 2026

Jesse Jackson Jr. had earlier invited all who wished to attend his father’s funeral, recognizing the profound impact the late civil rights leader had on so many. Rev. Jackson paved the way for countless others, including Obama. Having run for president twice in the 1980s, it was only fitting that the first Black president was there to honor his community and thank them for paving the way.

Jackson Jr. said, “Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative, right wing, left wing — his life was broad enough to cover the full spectrum of what it means to be an American. Dad would have wanted us to have a meaningful conversation to discuss our differences, to find ways of moving forward and moving together.”

The unity Rev. Jackson dedicated his life to was on full display at his funeral. Obama made it equally clear that he wouldn’t want to be the one to soil the America Rev. Jackson fought for all those years.