Former President Donald Trump made headline during his appearance at the 79th annual Al Smith dinner where he hurled insults and attacks at various targets including Vice President Kamala Harris and former New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio. Trump drew mixed reactions from the crowd, including boos, for his jokes about Harris and DeBlasio, and for describing DeBlasio as the “worst mayor” New York has ever had. Despite the backlash, Trump expressed indifference to the audience’s reactions, and even called his insults “fact” rather than comedy.
During his speech, Trump also mentioned his past speech at the 2016 Al Smith dinner, where he attacked Hillary Clinton and admitted that his aides were upset with it but he didn’t care. Despite facing numerous legal challenges and ongoing investigations, Trump expressed his likelihood of winning the upcoming election, even making a jab at Sen. Chuck Schumer.
In response to Trump’s insults, Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a milder retort in a video presented at the dinner, poking fun at Trump’s ongoing protest of the 2020 election results. Comedian Jim Gaffigan, who hosted the event, joked about the potential for violence post-election.
The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, named after the New York governor who championed progressive causes, serves as a fundraiser for Catholic charities and a platform for political figures to showcase humor and bipartisanship. The dinner has historically provided candidates with an opportunity to joke about their opponents and themselves, but Trump broke this script with his pointed attacks in 2016 and at the recent dinner.
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