CNN’s Jesse Jackson Remembrance Skips ‘Hymietown’ Remark and Rips Trump’s Tribute
20th February 2026
With the passing of The Rev. Jesse Jackson comes the media coverage that would be expected for a man of his stature, complete with documentation of his history, analysis of achievements, and tributes from those who knew him. On Tuesday CNN’s Inside Politics provided all of the above, but they failed to mention a major controversy from 1984 when Jackson was running for President, and they managed to attack President Trump for good measure.
During his 1984 campaign Jackson, speaking to a reporter, referred to New York as “Hymietown,” and to Jews as “hymies.” He first denied making the derogatory remarks, but later fessed up at a New York synagogue. At the time this was quite a significant story, but it wasn’t mentioned in host Dana Bash’s review of Jackson’s life and legacy, Nor was it mentioned by Atlanta Journal Constitution writer Tia Mitchell, who alluded to Jackson’s runs for President, and how he was hailed by her family.
I doubt that they mentioned his multi-decade race-hustle shakedown operation against American businesses.