There was no one to protect themselves from former President Donald Trump's rant at Al Smith's dinner Thursday night. He criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for being absent, taunted New York City Mayor Eric Adams and dragged Democratic leaders into the raucous audience.
Trump, 78, accused Harris of being the first presidential candidate since Walter Mondale in 1984 to decline an invitation to a Manhattan event to raise money for Catholic charities that help children.
“I think they should have told her that the money was meant to bail out the looters and rioters in Minneapolis, so she would have security here,” Trump said.
The former president, citing the Michigan governor's appearance in a bizarre viral video in which he kneels and feeds a social media influencer a Dorito, claimed that Harris was actually “an communicator from Gretchen Whitmer.” “I am receiving communion,” he quipped.
The Republican presidential candidate accused Harris of being “disrespectful to Catholics” and compared her to Mondale, who also skipped the dinner and won only her home state in her race against Ronald Reagan.
President Trump laughed at Mondale's results, saying, “It shows there is a God.”
The 45th president then directed the joke at many others in the crowd, including Mayor Adams.
President Trump wished the Big Apple mayor “good luck” as he faces federal charges of corruption and bribery.
The former commander-in-chief also warned that Deputy Gentleman Doug Emhoff should not be “allowed to be near the nanny.”
Emhoff recently admitted that he had an affair during his first marriage to Kirstin Emhoff, several years before he met Harris.
“There's a group called White Dudes for Harris, and I'm not worried about them. Their wives and their wives' lovers are voting for me,” Trump said while having dinner with first lady Melania Trump. After eating, he shouted to the roaring audience.
He slammed Sen. Chuck Schumer. “But Chuck, given how woke your party has become, look on the bright side. Even if Kamala loses, you still have a chance to become the first female president.”
Meanwhile, Harris addressed the crowd in a pre-recorded video, but was interrupted by Mary Katherine Gallagher, the Catholic protagonist of the 1999 film “Superstar.”
Gallagher, played by Molly Shannon, warned Harris against making jokes about Catholics and warned that there would be a “fact checker” at the dinner.
Harris countered in the video that mocking Catholics at Al Smith's dinner party was like “insulting Detroit when you're in Detroit,” clearly pointing to the decline of President Trump's Michigan city. He referred to the statement that
The Vice President's video drew some laughs, but the crowd was left clearly confused by the millennial movie reference.
Harris' presence was so felt that some in the audience booed the announcement that she would not appear in person and would instead send a video. The dinner has been attended by candidates from major political parties in nearly every election cycle since 1960.
In 2020, President Trump and President Biden both gave speeches virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic, but in 2016, President Trump called out his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton by saying, “I hate Catholics.'' '' and fired several shots, causing a heated argument.
Comedian Jim Gaffigan also joined Thursday night's fun event, poking fun at President Biden and calling the Biden family “secret Trump supporters” after his own party kicked him out of the 2024 race. Ta.
“President Biden couldn't be here tonight. The DNC confirmed that,” Gaffigan fumed.
The comedian also slammed Harris' video, saying it left the audience stunned and confused.
“As I watched it, I couldn't help but think about how the kids felt when I FaceTimed them to the piano recital,” he said.
With Election Day just weeks away, it is unlikely that Harris and Trump will meet in person.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the Roman Catholic archbishop of New York, said before the ceremony that the dinner was supposed to have a theme of “unity,” and expressed his “disappointment” that Harris was unable to attend.
“I'm a little nervous because the vice president isn't coming, but obviously I'm still disappointed,” Dolan said in an interview on Good News Room.
“I really tried to push this through, Jim, to these people, this is literally right up her alley,” Dolan told Gaffigan in an interview. “So somebody here is saying, 'Oh, can we bring some friendship and unity?'”
“This is not a campaign speech. This is not a stump speech,” Dolan added. “Now, some candidates may use it for that purpose, but that's not the essence or purpose of the night. You know, that line from President Ronald Reagan. [was] Al Smith's dinner is a rare opportunity for politicians to act like politicians. ”
