Civil Rights Icon Rev. Jesse Jackson Dies at 84 As President Trump Issues Personal Tribute

Domestically, he applied sustained pressure on corporations to diversify their leadership ranks and invest in minority communities. He publicly challenged major companies over hiring practices and pushed aggressively for expanded voting rights protections.

Even in later years, as illness softened his voice and slowed his step, Jackson remained active. In 2021, he was arrested twice while protesting the Senate filibuster rule, underscoring his refusal to retreat quietly from the public square. That same year, he and his wife, Jacqueline, were hospitalized in Chicago after contracting COVID-19.

President Trump’s Response

Following news of Jackson’s death, President Donald Trump posted a lengthy tribute on Truth Social, describing Jackson as “a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and ‘street smarts.’”

Trump emphasized a personal relationship that predated his presidency, noting that he provided office space for Jackson and the Rainbow Coalition in the Trump Building at 40 Wall Street. The President also highlighted his administration’s criminal justice reform efforts and long-term funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), initiatives he said Jackson supported.