WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump used his spotlight at a Catholic charity dinner Thursday to hurl insults and attacks on targets ranging from the absent Vice President Kamala Harris to former New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio.
Trump drew some groans and boos from the white-tied audience at the 79th annual Al Smith dinner, including what even he called a “nasty” joke about the breakup of the first marriage of Harris spouse Douglas Emhoff. Trump attacked Harris on items ranging from her late entry into the race to the way she laughs.
“I never liked people I was competing against,” Trump said at one point.
The former president also described one of the other guests, DeBlasio, as the “worst mayor” New York has ever had. He responded to the audience reaction by saying “I don’t give a s—,” and added: “That’s not comedy by the way – that’s fact.”
Harris, who declined an invitation to the Al Smith dinner to campaign in the battleground state of Wisconsin, delivered milder barbs at Trump in a brief video presentation.
Trump’s performance was reminiscent of his speech at the 2016 Al Smith dinner, when he constantly insulted Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. Trump said in Thursday’s speech that he went “overboard” in that speech and aides were upset with it, but “I did it anyway – I didn’t give a damn.”
Predicting a similar victory in this election, Trump looked at Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and said: “Look on the bright side Chuck – considering how woke your party has become, if Kamala loses you still have a chance to become the first woman president.”
Trump, convicted in May by a New York jury in a hush money case, also protested his indictments in four criminal cases, and other investigations into his conduct. He expressed sympathy for recently indicted New York Mayor Eric Adams, claiming both of them have been targeted by the government.
“Mayor Adams: Good luck with everything,” Trump said. “They went after you, mayor.”
At one point, Trump said he would follow the Al Smith dinner tradition of telling a “few self-deprecating” jokes, then quickly announced: “Nope – I’ve got nothing … there’s nothing to say.” Former First Lady Melania Trump also attended the dinner.
The former president referenced the two assassination attempts and all the investigations against him: “I guess I just don’t see the point of taking shots at myself when other people have been shooting at me for a hell of a long time.”
At the end of a nearly half-hour speech, Trump turned serious and said he considered not telling any jokes at the dinner, citing the many challenges facing the nation.
“There’s nothing funny about what’s happening to our country,” he said.
Harris retorts in video
The Harris video was part serious and part joking. It included comedian Molly Shannon, a Saturday Night Live alum, who portrayed a young Catholic girl giving advice to Harris about her speech to a largely Catholic audience.
Advised not to lie, Harris cited “election results,” a references to Trump’s ongoing protests of his loss in the 2020 election.
Told not to say anything negative about Catholics, Harris made a reference to a recent Trump event in Michigan by saying “that would be like criticizing Detroit in Detroit.”
Shannon’s character also told Harris: “Don’t worry if you make a mistake – Catholic people are very forgiving.”
Harris then spoke about the charity work financed by the Al Smith dinner, as well as its commitment to bipartisanship.
Trump and Harris did not mention the county’s many divisions – unlike comedian and dinner host Jim Gaffigan, who joked about the prospect of violence after a tense election.
Gaffigan, who portrays Harris running mate Tim Walz on Saturday Night Live, joked that “we are 19 days until the election – and, likely, a civil war. And, you know, I’m nervous. You know what I mean? . . . This is my first Civil War, guys.”
He added: “Have we decided who’s wearing blue and who’s wearing gray?”
What is the Alfred Smith dinner?
The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner – named for a New York governor who championed progressive causes in the early 20th Century – is a fundraiser for Catholic charities.
It is also something of a political throwback to a more bipartisan era.
In past presidential election years, the dinner gives candidates a chance to joke about their opponents, and themselves, sort of like the press dinners that are held in Washington, D.C.
In 2008, Democratic nominee Barack Obama and Republican nominee John McCain put on a master class in showmanship, joking egos and the challenges their campaigns faced in the midst of the financial crisis.
“Contrary to the rumors that you’ve heard, I was not born in a manger,” Obama cracked that night. “I was actually born on Krypton and sent here by my father Jor-el to save the Planet Earth.”
Obama also paid tribute to McCain’s storied military and political career: “There are very few of us who have served this country with the same dedication and honor and distinction as Senator McCain.”
During his speech, McCain – seeking to succeed unpopular Republican President George W. Bush – joked that Obama didn’t mind nicknames like “The One.”
“In fact, he even has a pet name for me – George Bush,” McCain said.
McCain also said of Obama: “I can’t wish my opponent luck, but I do wish him well.”
Trump changed the script in 2016, mixing somewhat flat jokes with pointed attacks on Clinton.
“Hillary believes that it’s vital to deceive the people by having one public policy and a totally different policy in private,”: Trump said at one point, drawing boos from the crowd in Clinton’s home state of New York.
For her part, Clinton said during the Al Smith dinner in 2016: “It’s amazing I’m up here after Donald … I didn’t think he’d be OK with a peaceful transition of power.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump attacks Kamala Harris, others at charity dinner