Did Jesse Jackson once praise Trump for his commitment to underserved communities?

In 1999, as future U.S. President Donald Trump was building a real estate empire, the Rev. Jesse Jackson was entrenched in international diplomacy and continuing to further civil rights domestically. Following Jackson’s death on Feb. 17, 2026, a claim spread online that Jackson once praised Trump for his commitment to underserved communities.

Users shared a video clip allegedly showing Jackson introducing Trump at a gathering in New York on multiple platforms, including Instagram, X (archived) and Facebook, racking up millions of views.

The clip was authentic and available on C-SPAN’s website, and it authentically showed Jackson introducing Trump with praise. Therefore we’ve rated this claim true.

The video was taken Jan. 14, 1999, during a New York gathering for an economic initiative headed by Jackson called the Wall Street Project. Trump, reportedly along with several other notable figures, was in attendance.

During his introductory remarks for Trump, Jackson said:

I now want to bring forth a friend who has — well he is deceptive in that his social style is of such, one can miss that his seriousness and just commitment for the success is beyond argument. When we opened this Wall Street Project and we talked about it, he gave us space at 40 Wall Street, which was to make a statement about our having a presence there. And beyond that, in terms of reaching out and being inclusive, he’s done that too. And created for many people a comfort zone when I ran for the presidency in ’84 and ’88. And many others thought it was either laughable or something to avoid, he came to our business meeting here in New York because he has this sense of the curious, and a will to risk to make things better. And so aside from all of his style and his pizzazz, he’s a serious person who is an effective builder … for the people. Last year he was a part of our workshop, of our panel workshop, on what are the challenges and opportunities. And so this, a year later, Donald Trump, for a few minutes. Challenges and opportunities to embrace the underserved communities. Donald Trump.

The New York Times reported on the event, though its story did not mention that Trump was present. This may be due to the fact that other notable figures, including then-President Bill Clinton, were also in attendance.

The 1999 gathering wasn’t the only time Jackson and Trump crossed paths. As mentioned by Jackson in his 1999 comments, during the Wall Street Project’s conference one year earlier, in January 1998, Trump spoke on a panel alongside Jackson. (C-SPAN footage of that is also available online.)

Dozens of images of the two also appear in Getty Images archives, most of them taken during a 1988 Mike Tyson boxing match.

Though Trump did not formally enter politics until he began running for president in 2015, he had teased a presidential bid as early as 1987. Jackson remained a Democrat throughout his life, criticizing Trump and his policies on multiple occasions. 

“He has a lot of reaching out to do,” Jackson wrote in a 2016 opinion piece following Trump’s presidential win. “For the sake of the country and the world, I pray his arms are long enough. Yet, reaching out is not enough. He must also embrace and include those he has pushed away.”

Sources