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President Donald Trump issued a Truth Social post on Tuesday, reflecting on Rev. Jesse Jackson in the wake of the 84-year-old civil rights leader’s death.
Trump said he knew Jackson “well” and described him as “a good man.”
“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!” the president said in the post.
FILE – Donald Trump and Jesse Jackson attend Tyson-Spinks Boxing Match on June 27, 1988 at the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
“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,” Trump continued.
“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,” the president added.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks as he announces the creation of the U.S. strategic critical minerals reserve during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on February 02, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“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!” Trump concluded.
In a statement, Jackson’s family described him as a “servant leader.”
“Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the family noted in the statement.
Reverend Jesse Jackson is honored during a celebration of his legacy at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition on August 18, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Joshua Lott/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
“We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family. His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by,” the statement said.