Obama launches ferocious attack on Trump as he cries at Jesse Jackson funeral
Barack Obama launched a ferocious rebuke of Donald Trump's America, claiming it is stained by 'bigotry, corruption and dishonesty,' at Jesse Jackson's funeral on Friday.
The former president broke down in tears inside a packed church on Chicago's South Side, telling the congregation 'we are living in a time when it can be hard to hope.'
Obama said: '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, everyday you wake up to things you just didn't think were possible.'
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Speaking out: Former President Barack Obama speaks during the Public Homegoing Service for the Rev. Jesse Jackson at the House of Hope in Chicago, Friday
The speech came weeks after Trump shared a video depicting Obama and his wife Michelle as apes, though the President claimed he was unaware of the clip.
White House spokesman Steven Cheung told the Daily Mail: 'Barack Hussein Obama is a classless moron who clearly suffers from a debilitating and severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that has rotted his brain.
'He is a total disgrace for all the hurt he has caused this country and history will not judge him well.'
Deeply missed: Reverend Jesse Jackson died on February 17 after a battle with a rare neurological condition
Obama said those in power are using 'fear' to make people 'turn on each other,' warning that some Americans are being told they 'count more than others' while some 'don't even count at all.'
The former president added: 'Everywhere we see greed and bigotry being celebrated and bullying and mockery masquerading as strength... while ignorance and dishonesty, and cruelty and corruption are reaping untold rewards every single day.'
He said through tears: 'If we don't step up no-one else will. How fortunate we were that Jesse Jackson answered that call, what a great debt we owe to him.'
You there: Obama gestures to Gavin Newsom at the funeral in a move that has sparked chatter
Trump has drawn criticism for his frequent attacks on federal judges and even conservative Supreme Court Justices, after the court struck down his tariffs last month.
Democrats have accused Trump of pitting Americans against each other in his immigration crackdown, during which two U.S. citizens were shot dead by federal agents in Minneapolis in January.
He is also accused of enriching his own family and friends as his administration has blended politics with business, including international real estate deals in the Middle East and a luxury jet from Qatar.
Buttering up: The eventual nominee will be hoping for heavyweight endorsements from the likes of Obama
Obama, who attended the funeral without his wife Michelle, was seen sharing laughs in the front row with Bill Clinton and Joe Biden, joined by their wives, former Secretary of State Hillary and Jill.
Jackson, remembered as a 'living bridge' between the era of Martin Luther King Jr and the modern civil rights movements, died on February 17 aged 84 after suffering with a rare neurological disorder.
Trump, who praised Jackson on social media after his death and shared photos of the two together, was absent from the funeral, instead chosing to host a roundtable on collegiate sports at the White House.
Pick me! Seated a few rows to Obama's right was fellow 2028 hopeful Kamala Harris, who has recently been flirting with another run at the White House
Respected attendees: Former presidents Bill Clinton, Obama, and Joe Biden and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham and former first lady Dr Jill Biden sit front row at the funeral
Seated a few rows to Obama's right was Kamala Harris, with California Governor Gavin Newsom directly behind him. The pair are widely tipped to launch bids for the White House in 2028.
Whoever wins the nomination will be hoping for a heavyweight endorsement from Obama, whose reluctance to back Harris until the eleventh hour proved prescient in her defeat to Trump.
Obama raised eyebrows when he turned and pointed at Newsom at the Chicago funeral.
The former president, standing between Bill Clinton and Joe Biden, shook hands and locked eyes with the California governor in a moment that set tongues wagging.
Paying respects: Tyler Perry attends the Public Homegoing Service for Jackson at the House of Hope in Chicago
Big squeeze: Cornel West attends the service and warmly greets a friend
Crowds waited in long lines outside the church on the city's South Side as television screens played excerpts of some of Jackson's most famous speeches.
Clinton and Biden received cheers as they arrived, but it was Obama, announced as 'the South Side's own, President Barack Obama,' who drew the loudest applause as he entered.
Inside, vendors sold pins bearing Jackson's 1984 presidential slogan and hoodies carrying his 'I Am Somebody' mantra, while a choir sang as attendees photographed a large panel emblazoned with his rallying cry: 'Keep hope alive.'
Leading figure: Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich attends the service
From the city: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson addresses the congregation
In memory: Governor of Illinois JB Pritzker speaks during the memorial service
Along with a slew of Illinois elected leaders, notable attendees included actor and producer Tyler Perry, and political activist and theologian Cornel West.
Among the crowd was Mary Lovett, 90, who said Jackson's advocacy had inspired her across a lifetime, from her move from Mississippi to Chicago in the 1960s through her years teaching elementary school and raising a family.
She voted for Jackson in both his presidential runs and appreciated how he always spoke up for underrepresented people.
Lovett said: 'He's gone, but I hope his legacy lives. I hope we can remember what he tried to teach us.'
Inner circle: Rev Al Sharpton speaks with Jesse Jackson Jr before the start of the service
Marketing professional Chelsia Bryan said she attended because it was 'a chance to be part of something historic.'
She continued: 'As a black woman, knowing that someone pretty much gave their life, dedicated their life to make sure I can do the things that I can do now, he's worth honoring.'
Jesse Jackson Jr said last month: 'Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative, right wing, left wing because his life is broad enough to cover the full spectrum of what it means to be an American.
'Dad would have wanted us to have a great meeting to discuss our differences, to find ways of moving forward and moving together.'
Packed church: People attend a memorial service for late civil rights leader
Jackson was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2017 and spent his final months battling progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare neurological disorder that robbed him of his mobility and speech.
Family members said he continued coming into the office until last year, communicating through hand signals. His final public appearance was at the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
His son, Yusef Jackson, who runs the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, recalled how his father carried a well-worn Bible but also showed his faith by showing up to picket lines.
On Friday, Yusef said: 'He lived a revolutionary Christian faith rooted in justice, nonviolence and the moral righteousness.'
In mouring: Jackson's coffin sat at the front in the center of the room
Unexpected: Newsom greets attendees at the celebration of life for Jackson
Yusef continued: 'He was deeply involved in the political struggles of his time, but his gift was that he could rise above them. It's not about the left wing or the right wing. It takes two wings to fly. For him, the goal was always the moral center.'
Services in Chicago and South Carolina drew civic leaders, school groups, and ordinary mourners, touched by his work across scholarship programs and prison advocacy.
Several states flew flags at half-staff in his honor.
Sporting honor: Chicago Cubs Chairman Thomas Ricketts speaks at the service
Soulful show; Opal Staples performs at a celebration of life service
A Washington DC service was shelved after House Speaker Mike Johnson denied a request for Jackson to lie in honor in the Capitol rotunda, saying the space is typically reserved for former presidents and select officials, with no details of a future event made public.
Jackson was a close associate of King in the 1960s, joining the Selma-to-Montgomery marches in 1965 where he caught King's attention, and was present at his assassination in Memphis in 1968.
He went on to mount two landmark presidential campaigns, in 1984 and 1988, becoming the first Black candidate to win multiple primary contests in a major party race.
Welcoming him in: The casket with Jackson arrives for the Public Homegoing Service
Another legend: Former basketball player Isaiah Thomas speaks at the service
As a diplomatic envoy Jackson secured the release of American prisoners from Syria, Iraq, and Serbia.
He founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition in 1996, which became a vehicle for pressuring corporate America on diversity, and served as President Clinton's special envoy for Africa.
He is survived by his wife and six children.
