NEW YORK CITY—Amid poking fun at himself and others for a good cause at the 79th annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner on Oct. 17, former President Donald Trump turned serious, reflecting on the two attempts on his life.
“Having recently, myself, survived two assassination attempts ... I have a very fresh appreciation for how blessed we are by God’s Providence and his divine mercy,” he said. “So, with God’s help, I know there is nothing that cannot be achieved. We can achieve so much good with this country and get together and unify.”
Trump made the remarks as the keynote speaker at the dinner. The former president’s wife, former first lady Melania Trump, who is Catholic, made a rare public appearance.
Known for featuring humorous political speeches, the formal event drew 1,100 people to the New York Hilton Midtown hotel and raised nearly $10 million—a record amount—for New York Archdiocese charitable works.
“Your wit is absolutely fabulous,” the foundation’s vice chair, Mary Callahan Erdoes, told Trump as she welcomed him and his wife to the dinner.
Trump said: “I’m supposed to tell a few self-deprecating jokes this evening. So here it goes.”
He paused dramatically as the audience laughed. Then he said, “Nope. I’ve got nothing.”
“There’s nothing to say. I guess I just don’t see the point of taking shots at myself when other people have been shooting at me for a hell of a long time,” Trump said as the audience burst into laughter and applause.
For decades, the Al Smith Dinner has been a fixture of the U.S. political scene, giving sometimes-bitter opponents a forum for good-natured ribbing, to the delight of TV audiences.
Trump said the event is “a great New York tradition,” fondly recalling attending it during his childhood with his father, Fred Trump. He has served as the keynote speaker at the dinner during his three Republican presidential campaigns, as have his opponents from the Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020. The event was held virtually in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This time, Trump’s opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, was not present at the dinner, but she made an appearance through a four-minute prerecorded video.
Trump joked, “The real reason she’s not here is she’s hunting with her running mate,” referring to the recent publicized hunting trips of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic Party’s vice presidential nominee.
Harris became the first major U.S. presidential candidate to turn down an invitation to the event since 1984, event organizers told The Epoch Times.
That was when the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee Walter Mondale, who was challenging President Ronald Reagan, decided to forgo the dinner.
Catholics an Important Voting Bloc
Half-jokingly, half-seriously, Trump told the audience, “Catholics, you’ve gotta vote for me. You’ve gotta remember I’m here, and she’s not,” referring to Harris.Comedian Jim Gaffigan, who served as master of ceremonies for the dinner, pointed out that Catholics make up about 22 percent of the U.S. population and “will be a key demographic in every battleground state.”
Harris’s campaign did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment.
The Democratic nominee’s videotaped message featured a skit with comedienne Molly Shannon wearing a Catholic schoolgirl uniform and portraying her quirky “Saturday Night Live” character Mary Katherine Gallagher.
Harris took some swipes at Trump. She, too, called for less political discord.
“In the spirit of tonight’s dinner, let us recommit to reaching across the divide to seek understanding and common ground,” she said in the video.
Factions Converge
Although the Al Smith Dinner is Catholic-run, it brings together people of various religions and political affiliations.Trump, who had often been at odds with Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), sat near Schumer at the dinner. The two men were seen leaning in toward each other for a discussion before Trump’s remarks.
Between them sat Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York.
Dolan remarked, “Can you imagine sitting here with Chuck Schumer on my right and Donald Trump on my left?”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a former independent and opponent of Trump, has now thrown his support behind the former president. Trump has suggested that, if he wins reelection, Kennedy would hold a key health-related position in a second Trump administration.
Kennedy’s uncle, then-Sen. John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts, and Vice President Richard Nixon both gave keynote remarks for the Al Smith Dinner in 1960, the first time that both major parties’ candidates attended, organizers said.
This year’s audience and honored guests included many CEOs, philanthropists, sports figures, media personalities, elected officials, and religious leaders.
Attendees paid $5,000 per ticket for the event, which also attracted additional donations.
“Good evening, rich people. ... Friends and millionaires who are not yet billionaires,” Gaffigan said earlier in the event.
Dolan ended the program with a humorous touch. “Dear Lord, when we’re at a loss for words—which was hardly the case this evening—it’s best just to whisper, ‘Thanks,’” he said.
Dolan extended his gratitude to everyone who contributed to the event.
The dinner and charitable foundation honor the legacy of Smith, a four-term New York governor. He was the first Catholic to be nominated as a presidential candidate by a major political party. Smith, a Democrat, was defeated in a landslide by Republican Herbert Hoover in 1928; anti-Catholic sentiment at the time helped doom Smith’s candidacy.
“Known as the ‘Happy Warrior,’ Smith dedicated his life and work to helping disadvantaged communities in New York,” the dinner’s program explained.
The dinner is held annually but draws more attention—and almost double the donations—in presidential election years. This year marks the 20th presidential election cycle for the dinner, organizers said.
