former president Joe Biden The Rev. Jesse Jackson told mourners at his memorial service on Friday that he was “much smarter than most of you,” a pointed remark he made as he paid tribute to the late civil rights leader.
Biden made the comments as he recounted how he was teased as a child for his stutter and how speech impediments were often mistaken for a lack of intelligence.
“If I told you I had a cleft palate or clubfoot, none of you would laugh,” Biden said. “But it’s OK to laugh at a stutter… That’s where people think you’re stupid.
“Oh, really? I’m a lot smarter than most of you,” he added, before quickly returning to his broader point. “But just kidding, it makes you feel really small.”
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Former President Joe Biden speaks during a public memorial honoring the life of civil rights activist Jesse Jackson in Chicago on March 6, 2026
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Biden made these remarks in a speech memorial service in chicago The event brought together prominent Democratic leaders and civil rights figures to commemorate Jackson’s decades of political influence.
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former president barack obama Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Vice President Kamala Harris and the Rev. Al Sharpton attended the funeral.
The event was held at the 10,000-seat House of Hope Stadium, where hundreds gathered to celebrate Jackson’s life and legacy.
Vance, Harris, Obama pay tribute to Rev. Jesse Jackson
Former President Joe Biden speaks during a celebration of the life of civil rights leader Jesse Jackson Sr. at the House of Hope Arena in Chicago on March 6, 2026. Jackson died on February 17 after a long battle with progressive supranuclear palsy.
Jackson, who died aged 84, rose to prominence as a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement. He later founded the Rainbow Push Alliance and organized Democratic presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988, expanding black voter participation and reshaping the party’s electoral coalition.
Throughout the service, speakers praised Jackson’s ability to build political coalitions and elevate issues affecting marginalized communities.
Biden has often spoken about working to overcome a childhood stutter, centering his rhetoric around resilience and the lasting impact of being teased at a young age.
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Barack Obama and Joe Biden attend the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Celebration of Life and Homecoming Ceremony at House of Hope Arena in Chicago on March 6, 2026.
Later, in a speech, Biden claimed to the gathered mourners that “the African continent will become the largest continent in the world.”
“I remember telling Jesse, I know a guy I know in South Africa,” former President Joe Biden recalled. “I’m going to meet Nelson Mandela. Jesse said, how do you do? By the way, did you guys actually see him? You know, by 2050, the African continent is going to be the most populous continent in the world, the largest continent in the world. Pay attention, man. Pay attention.”
His “smarter than most of you” line was quickly added to the former president’s growing list of gaffes taken out of context, with social media users commenting online.
“It’s a weird thing to say at a memorial service,” one commenter wrote in a viral moment retweeted by TikTok user Libs.
Another quipped: “This guy’s comedy will never end. Glad he’s back in the public eye.”
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In addition to Biden’s speech, the memorial focuses on Jackson’s legacy as a civil rights leader who helped shape America modern democratic party and expand U.S. political participation.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman-Diamond, Bradford Bates and Patrick McGovern contributed to this report.
Original source of the article: Biden tells crowd at Jesse Jackson funeral ‘I’m a lot smarter than most of you’
