Donald Trump's Self-Pitying 'Tribute' To Jesse Jackson Is Totally On Brand

On February 17, 2026, at the age of 84, the Rev. Jesse Jackson passed away. Respectful tributes came in all over the world for the civil rights activist, who ran two presidential campaigns in the 1980s. Past presidents like Barack Obama had kind things to say, but you can't be blamed if you had a pit in your stomach over the worry about what President Donald Trump might put out. Sadly, his supposed tribute lived up to what many expected.

In the early morning, as new of Jackson's death was breaking, Trump took to Truth Social with his thoughts on the reverend. He started out respectful, writing, "I knew him well, long before becoming President. He was a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and 'street smarts.'" Trump had kind words at the end too, finishing with, "He loved his family greatly, and to them I send my deepest sympathies and condolences. Jesse will be missed!"

Well that's not so bad, right? However, it was what Trump had to say in between those sentiments that showed the president doing what he does often: playing the victim, even when he's supposed to be honoring the recently deceased. Trump said, "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." He commended himself for doing things to further Jackson's causes, and claimed he was the only president who would. And because President Obama lives rent free in his head, Trump couldn't help but get in a dig there too, writing, "He had much to do with the Election, without acknowledgment or credit, of Barack Hussein Obama, a man who Jesse could not stand."

The response was on brand for President Trump. Earlier in the month, he received criticism from both sides of the aisle for a Truth Social video that portrayed Barack and Michelle Obama as apes, and no one will soon forget his mocking words about Rob Reiner after the famed director and his wife were murdered. 

Still, Trump didn't make any personal digs at Jesse Jackson himself. Does that mean they actually got along? They did work together over the decades, such as in 1997, when Trump gave Jackson offices in New York City for his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. This led to Jackson going so far as to calling Trump "a friend" at a press conference two years later (via C-SPAN). Trump responded by calling Jackson "a terrific guy."

Although they got along decently, Jackson was no supporter of Trump's political career. In November 2016, just ahead of Trump's presidential election against Hillary Clinton, Jackson said Black voters had "everything to lose and nothing to gain" if Trump won the election (via The Florida Times-Union). It looks like Jackson was so respected that even Trump couldn't bring himself to criticize the man, despite taking the moment to complain about everything else.