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 OK 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.”
Biden made the remark 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.
Jackson, who died at age 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.
Later on in his remarks, Biden asserted that “the continent of Africa is going to be the largest continent in the world” to the assembled mourners.
“I remember telling Jesse that I knew I knew a guy, in South Africa,” former President Biden recalled.
“I was going to go see name is Nelson Mandela. And, I’m Jesse saying, how are you going? You guys actually see him, by the way? You know, the continent of Africa is going to be the largest continent in the world in terms of population of the year 2050, the largest in the entire world. Watch, man. Watch.”
His “smarter than most of you” line was quickly added to a growing list of out-of-context gaffes for the former president, and 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.”
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.
