Social justice activist Jesse Jackson gave one of his trademark political sermons Sunday at a church in Columbia, South Carolina. Attempting to shame the congregation to dutifully vote straight Democrat, Jackson condemned everyone who participated the previous day in the Republican primary and warned of the “violent undercurrent” fueling the Right.
“[I]f you voted yesterday, you need a real prayer,” said Jackson, according to Bloomberg.
Though Jackson has refused to endorse one of the two Democratic candidates, his allegiance to the party that was far less supportive of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is unquestioned and his animosity for Republicans overt.
“So much we’ve fought for is now in jeopardy again,” he said, presenting the election as a referendum on the first black president’s legacy.
“There’s a toxic wind blowing in the country today,” he said.
The main enemy of progress and racial justice, Jackson suggested, is Republican frontrunner Donald Trump.
“I hear the phrase, ‘Make America great again. This is the best America’s ever been!” proclaimed Jackson, dismissing Trump’s message as a call for a “throwback” time.
The “toxic wind” energizing the right, Jackson warned, had a “violent undercurrent.” According to the racial activist reverend, the only way to beat back that supposed “violence” and defend Obama’s legacy is for the black community to keep voting Democrat.