Mike Johnson denies request for Jesse Jackson to lie in state at the Capitol
House Speaker Mike Johnson refused a request for the late Rev. Jesse Jackson to lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol, sources revealed.
Sources familiar with the matter told CNN that Johnson rejected the request, which was made on behalf of Jackson's family, by citing recent past precedent for right-wing activist Charlie Kirk and former Vice President Dick Cheney.
The 84-year-old civil rights icon and two-time Democratic presidential candidate died this week, and his family announced that Jackson will lie in repose at Rainbow PUSH headquarters in Chicago, with funeral services n his home state of South Carolina and in Washington, D.C.
One of the sources told CNN that the decision was keeping with precedent and not political, saying that general practice for lying in honor in the Capitol Rotunda is reserved for presidents, select military officials and select government officials.
The last person to be honored by lying in state was former President Jimmy Carter in January of 2025.