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    • Donald Trump attacks Kamala Harris and others at a charity dinner
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    Donald Trump attacks Kamala Harris and others at a charity dinner

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    WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump used his spotlight Thursday at a Catholic charity dinner to hurl insults and attacks at targets ranging from absent Vice President Kamala Harris to former New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio.

    Trump drew some groans and boos from the white-tie crowd at the 79th annual Al Smith dinner, including what he even called a “nasty” joke about the breakup of Harris husband Douglas Emhoff’s first marriage. Trump attacked Harris on issues ranging from her late entry into the race to the way she laughs.

    “I never liked people I competed with,” 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’s reaction by saying, “I don’t care,” adding, “That’s not comedy, by the way — that’s a fact.”

    Harris, who declined an invitation to the Al Smith dinner to campaign in the battleground state of Wisconsin, expressed milder criticism of Trump in a short video presentation.

    Trump’s actions were reminiscent of his speech at the Al Smith dinner in 2016, when he continuously insulted Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. Trump said in Thursday’s speech that he had gone “overboard” in that speech and that aides were angry about it, but “I did it anyway — I didn’t care.”

    Predicting a similar victory in this election, Trump looked at Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and said, “Look on the bright side of Chuck — considering how woke your party has become, if Kamala loses, you still have a chance to become the first female president.”

    Trump, who was convicted by a New York jury in a hush-money case in May, also protested his charges in four criminal cases and other investigations into his conduct. He expressed condolences for recently indicted New York Mayor Eric Adams, claiming both were being targeted by the government.

    “Mayor Adams: Good luck with everything,” Trump said. “They came after you, Mayor.”

    At one point, Trump said he would follow the Al Smith dinner tradition by telling a “couple of self-deprecating” jokes, then quickly announced, “No, I have nothing…there’s nothing to say.” Former First Lady Melania Trump also attended the dinner.

    The former president referred to the two assassination attempts and all the investigations against him: “I guess I just don’t see any point in shooting at myself when other people have been shooting at me for a long time.”

    At the end of a nearly half-hour speech, Trump turned serious and said he was considering not joking at the dinner, citing the many challenges facing the country.

    “There is nothing funny about what is happening to our country,” he said.

    Harris answers in video

    The Harris video was part serious and part joke. It included comedian Molly Shannon, a Saturday Night Live alum, who portrayed a young Catholic girl who gave Harris advice on her speech to a largely Catholic audience.

    Harris was advised not to lie and mentioned “election results,” a reference to Trump’s continued protests over his loss in the 2020 election.

    Harris was told not to say anything negative about Catholics and referenced a recent Trump event in Michigan, 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 charitable work funded by the Al Smith dinner, as well as the commitment to bipartisanship.

    Trump and Harris made no mention of the country’s many divisions — unlike comedian and dinner host Jim Gaffigan, who joked about the prospect of violence after a tense election.

    Gaffigan, who plays Harris’s running mate Tim Walz on Saturday Night Live, joked that “we have 19 days to go until the election – and probably a civil war. And you know, I’m nervous. Do you understand what I mean? This is my first civil war, guys.”

    He added: “Have we decided who wears blue and who wears grey?”

    What is the Alfred Smith Dinner?

    The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner – named after a New York governor who championed progressive causes in the early 20th century – is a fundraiser for Catholic charities.

    It is also a kind of political return to a more bipartisan era.

    In recent presidential election years, the dinner has given candidates a chance to poke fun at their opponents and themselves, somewhat like the press dinners held in Washington, DC.

    In 2008, Democratic candidate Barack Obama and Republican candidate John McCain gave a masterclass in showmanship, poking fun at egos and the challenges their campaigns faced in the midst of the financial crisis.

    “Contrary to the rumors you’ve heard, I was not born in a manger,” Obama said that evening. “I was actually born on Krypton and sent here by my father Jor-el to save planet Earth.”

    Obama also paid tribute to McCain’s storied military and political career: “Few of us have served this country with the same dedication, honor and distinction as Senator McCain.”

    During his speech, McCain, who wanted to succeed unpopular Republican President George W. Bush, joked that Obama didn’t mind using nicknames like “The One.”

    “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 the best.”

    Trump changed the script in 2016, mixing somewhat flat jokes with sharp attacks on Clinton.

    “Hillary believes it is essential to deceive the people by pursuing one public policy and a completely different private policy,” Trump said at one point, drawing boos from the crowd in Clinton’s home state of New York.

    Clinton, for her part, said at the Al Smith dinner in 2016: “It’s amazing that I’m after Donald here… I didn’t think he would be okay with a peaceful transfer of power.”

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