Donald Trump struggled to deliver a series of insults and jokes at the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner in New York City on Thursday night. The long-running event has traditionally been a venue for politicians of both parties to make lighthearted jabs while helping to bring in donations for Catholic charities. But Trump instead used the bulk of his time to repeat insults he has made on the campaign trail. “Right now, we have someone in the White House who can barely talk, barely put together two coherent sentences, who seems to have mental faculties of a child,” Trump said, haltingly reading his prepared statement. “But enough about Kamala Harris.” Trump also decided to emphasize the middle name of former President Barack Obama, stressing “Hussein,” a tactic that was frequently used by those promoting the racist “birther” conspiracy theory. Trump was for years the most prominent birther in the country. YouTube Video On Friday morning, Trump’s campaign emailed reporters a recap of his speech, declaring that it was a “knockout roast” that was a “master class in humor, delivery, and tact.” “Donald Trump struggled to read scripted notes written by his handlers, repeatedly complaining that he couldn't use a teleprompter,” Ammar Moussa, the Harris campaign’s rapid response director, said in a statement. “He stumbled over his words and lashed out when the crowd wouldn't laugh with him. The rare moments he was off script, he went on long incomprehensible rambles, reminding Americans how unstable he’s become.” Also on Friday, Trump appeared on “Fox & Friends,” where the hosts praised his speech. Trump said he received help writing his material from unnamed Fox News personalities and said he didn’t like the jokes that he read. In contrast to Trump’s appearance, Vice President Kamala Harris did not attend due to a scheduling conflict, but she did send in a video that was more in line with the traditional comedic tone of the event. YouTube Video Harris was joined by “Saturday Night Live” alumnus Molly Shannon playing her Catholic schoolgirl character Mary Katherine Gallagher. Gallagher advised Harris not to insult Catholics in her remarks and Harris replied, “I would never do that, no matter where I was. That would be like criticizing Detroit in Detroit.” Last week, Trump insulted the city of Detroit while campaigning for critical votes in the swing state of Michigan, drawing widespread condemnation and a fiery Harris ad in response. In September, after accepting the opportunity to speak at the Al Smith dinner, Trump questioned the mental stability of Catholics who might vote for Harris, saying on his Truth Social platform, “Any Catholic that votes for Comrade Kamala Harris should have their head examined…” The Al Smith dinner outing comes as Trump has suddenly canceled a series of public appearances and has largely focused on speaking on conservative media outlets, like Fox News. When he has gone outside of the bubble, like in a recent Univision town hall meeting, he has performed awkwardly and generated scorn. We need your help if we’re going to defeat Trump, Vance, Project 2025, and Republicans up and down the ballot. Click here to volunteer to write letters so we can increase voter turnout. Campaign Action
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