CNN —
Former President Donald Trump insulted Vice President Kamala Harris’ family on Thursday night, mispronounced her name multiple times, complained about how poorly he was treated during his presidency, and criticized Al Smith. He drew occasional cheers and laughter from the friendly crowd at the charity dinner.
President Trump’s monologue at New York City’s famous Catholic fundraiser has traditionally featured light roasts of two-party candidates in presidential election years, but Harris (who had decided to skip the event last month) The statement was made at the end of his sixth visit. Since President Joe Biden withdrew from the campaign, he returned to the battleground state of Wisconsin.
More than 1,000 miles away on the freeway, she is attacking key blue wall states and trying to strengthen her most favorable path to the White House, as her Republican rival enters the final weeks of the campaign. They used the words against him to intensify their attacks.
“Sometimes unbelievable things happen, and now this man calls himself the father of IVF,” Harris said Thursday, recalling Trump’s remarks at an all-female town hall. spoke. “I mean, what does that mean?” And she accused President Trump of “gaslighting” Americans after he called Jan. 6, 2021, a “day of love” at Univision’s Town Hall earlier this week. accused of doing so.
Back in Manhattan, the former president was surrounded by a motley crew of friends, enemies, and potentially both. Trump was flanked by Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York and former first lady Melania Trump, while New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully brought a massive civil fraud case against Trump, You may have noticed it looming over Trump’s shoulder. So did New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, a major donor. Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg sat mostly expressionless during the former president’s remarks.
When it came time to speak, Trump delivered a few words, mostly insulting his rival and claiming that Harris’ absence was “extremely disrespectful” to Catholics.
Biden, the nation’s second Catholic president, finished with a 5-point lead over Trump among Catholic voters, according to exit polls in 2020. Trump beat Hillary Clinton by about the same margin four years ago. Asked about his campaign in September, Pope Francis said only that Americans should “choose the lesser of two evils.”
Trump, as he often did on the campaign trail, downplayed his vice president’s intelligence.
“Right now, we have a person in the White House who appears to have the intellectual capacity of a child, who can barely speak and who can barely put together two coherent sentences. There is no information at all,” President Trump said. “But enough about Kamala Harris.”
President Trump used self-deprecating humor in a historic turn for politicians after mocking Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, over their support for transgender rights. He admitted that he had been using this event to eliminate him.
“No,” he said after a pause. “I don’t have anything.”
In his remarks, the former president doubled down on his support for New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who was indicted on corruption charges by federal prosecutors last month. After wishing Adams “good luck,” Trump repeated the familiar canard that the Justice Department indicted Adams over the mayor’s criticism of the Biden administration’s border policies.
Trump told Adams: “You’re going to win, I think you’re going to win, I know you’re going to win, so good luck.” “Good luck. I don’t like what they’re doing.”
Trump was convicted in New York earlier this year on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. He has also pleaded not guilty to three criminal charges, which he has frequently claimed, without evidence, as political retribution orchestrated by Biden.
Harris did not attend the dinner, which was held remotely in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic, but sent a video message to attendees.
“The Gospel of Luke teaches us that faith has the power to illuminate those who live in darkness and guide our feet to the path of peace,” Harris said. “And in honor of the great Al Smith, let us fight to build a better future with faith in God, our country, and each other.”
The vice president also performs a skit with comedian Molly Shannon in the video, in which Shannon returns to her role as Mary Katherine Gallagher on “Saturday Night Live,” a perennially overexcited Catholic high school girl. and advised Harris not to say anything negative about Catholics. her statement.
“I would never do that, no matter where I was,” Harris said, delivering the punchline. “That’s like criticizing Detroit in Detroit.”
President Trump did just that last week while campaigning in the Motor City, comparing the city to a “developing country.”
