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Former President Joe Biden told mourners at Rev. Jesse Jackson’s memorial service Friday that he is “a h— of a lot smarter than most of you,” a pointed remark that stood out during his tribute to the late civil rights leader.
Biden made the comment while recounting how he was mocked as a child for his stutter and how speech impediments are often mistaken for a lack of intelligence.
“If I told you I had a cleft palate or clubfoot, none of you would have laughed,” Biden said. “But it’s okay to laugh at stuttering. … It’s the one place where people think you’re stupid.”
“Oh, really? I’m a h— of a lot smarter than most of you,” he added, before quickly pivoting back to his broader point. “But all kidding aside, it makes you feel really small.”
Former US president Joe Biden speaks at a public memorial service to celebrate the life of civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson in Chicago, Illinois, on March 6, 2026. Veteran US civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson, one of the nation’s most influential Black voices, died peacefully on February 17, 2026 at the age of 84. Jackson, a Baptist minister, had been a civil rights leader since the 1960s, when he marched with Martin Luther King Jr. and helped fundraise for the cause. (Kamil Krzaczynski / AFP via Getty Images)
The remark came during a memorial service in Chicago that brought together prominent Democratic leaders and civil rights figures to honor Jackson’s decades-long political influence.
Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton attended the service, along with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Vice President Kamala Harris and Rev. Al Sharpton.
The event was held at the 10,000-seat House of Hope arena, where hundreds gathered to celebrate Jackson’s life and legacy.
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Former President Joe Biden speaks at a celebration of life service for civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. at the House of Hope arena on March 06, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. Jackson died on February 17, following a lengthy battle with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Jackson, who died at 84, rose to prominence as a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr. during the civil rights movement. He later founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and mounted two Democratic presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988 that expanded Black voter participation and reshaped the party’s electoral coalition.
Throughout the service, speakers praised Jackson’s ability to build political alliances and elevate issues affecting marginalized communities.
Biden, who has frequently spoken about working to overcome his childhood stutter, framed his remarks around resilience and the lasting impact of being ridiculed as a young person.
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Barack Obama and Joe Biden at Reverend Jesse L. Jackson’s Peoples Celebration of Life and Homegoing Services at the House of Hope arena on March 06, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Earl Gibson III/Deadline via Getty Images)
His “smarter than most of you” line was quickly added to a growing list of out-of-context gaffes for the former President as social media users weighed in online.
Under one repost of the viral moment from user Libs of TikTok, one commenter wrote, “That’s a strange line to deliver at a memorial service.”
Another quipped, “Never ending comedy from this guy. So happy he’s back in public.”
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Outside of Biden’s remarks, the memorial largely focused on Jackson’s legacy as a civil rights leader who helped shape the modern Democratic Party and broaden political participation in the United States.
Digital’s Greg Norman-Diamond, Bradford Betz, and Patrick McGovern contributed to this reporting.
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