Trump Speaks At 79th Annual Al Smith Dinner

By
Rachel Stevenson
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Donald Trump did what Donald Trump does best at the 79th Al Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner: He stole the show with a mix of sharp roasts, self-deprecating humor (well, sort of), and, of course, some not-so-thinly veiled jabs at Democrats. All the while, Kamala Harris was conspicuously absent, becoming the first presidential candidate in decades to skip this prestigious event. Let’s just say Trump didn’t let that slide without getting a few laughs—and some digs—at her expense.

Kicking things off, Trump took aim at the guy to his left, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who’s currently under federal indictment. In classic Trump fashion, he quipped, “Mayor Adams, good luck with everything. They went after you.” Then, with a wink, he added that he saw this coming months ago, as soon as Adams said something the administration didn’t like. If anyone knows about politically motivated charges, it’s Trump, right? He even tossed in a joke about how, these days, showing up in New York without a subpoena feels like a win for him. You can’t make this stuff up.

But the real target of the night was Harris, whose absence became the elephant in the room. Trump pointed out that skipping the dinner was not just disrespectful to the event but also to the Catholic community. The crowd loved it. He even joked about how the last Democrat to skip this dinner, Walter Mondale, lost 49 states in the election. “She might want to reconsider her strategy,” he teased. Then, taking it one step further, he suggested the real reason Harris was a no-show was because she was busy hunting with Minnesota’s Governor Tim Walz—a guy who recently embarrassed himself by not even knowing how to use a shotgun despite claiming to be a hunter. Oof.

Trump then skewered Harris with a comment that had the crowd howling: If the dinner organizers had told her the funds were going to bail out the rioters in Minneapolis, “she would’ve been here in a heartbeat.”

Of course, no Trump speech would be complete without a swing at Joe Biden. Trump teased that if the Democrats really wanted to send someone who would disappear for the night, they would’ve sent Biden. “He’s barely been seen since he dropped out. The only way he could be more invisible is if he had a show on CNN,” Trump quipped, getting another round of laughs.

One of Trump’s sharpest moments came when he targeted the woke crowd, referencing a group called “White Dudes for Harris.” Trump wasn’t worried, though—after all, as he said, their wives (and their wives’ lovers) would be voting for him. Zing!

In another jab, he warned Harris to keep an eye on her husband, Doug Emhoff, lest he get too cozy with the nannies—hinting at rumors from Emhoff’s first marriage. Classy? Not so much. But it certainly got a reaction.

To wrap things up, Trump acknowledged the tradition of poking fun at oneself during the Al Smith Dinner. His attempt at self-deprecating humor? “I’ve got nothing. I guess I don’t see the point in shooting at myself when everyone else has been doing it for years.” Typical Trump—always on brand, always the entertainer.

And in case anyone thought Trump was done with the Democrats, he finished by taking a shot at Chuck Schumer, who, Trump noted, “might still have a shot at becoming the first woman president if Kamala loses.” It was an evening of roasts, with Trump holding court like a stand-up comic. Sure, not all the jokes were above the belt, but when has that ever stopped him? This is Trump, after all—roasts, jabs, and a crowd eating it up. Meanwhile, Harris’ empty chair might have said more than her presence ever could.

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