Trump insults Harris at Al Smith dinner as she storms Wisconsin and mocks his “father of IVF” claims

CNN
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Former President Donald Trump insulted Vice President Kamala Harris' family on Thursday night, repeatedly mispronouncing her name and complaining about how poorly he was treated during his presidency, drawing occasional cheers and some laughs from a friendly crowd at the Al Smith charity dinner caused.

Trump's monologue at the venerable Catholic fundraiser, a New York City venue that has traditionally hosted light roasts of the two major party candidates in presidential election years, came as Harris – who decided last month to skip the event – was wrapping up her sixth trip to battleground Wisconsin since President Joe Biden dropped out of the race.

A thousand miles away — as she stormed critical blue-wall states and sought to secure her most favorable path to the White House — she intensified her attacks on her Republican rival, using his words against him as the race entered its final weeks went.

“Sometimes it just gets more unbelievable. And now the man calls himself the father of artificial insemination,” Harris said Thursday, recalling Trump’s remarks at a women-only town hall. “I mean, what does that even mean?” And she accused Trump of “gaslighting” the American people after he declared January 6, 2021, “The Day of Love” at his Univision town hall earlier this week.

Back in Manhattan, the former president was surrounded by a motley crew of friends, enemies and those who could be both. New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan and former first lady Melania Trump flanked Trump, who may have noticed that New York Attorney General Letitia James, who successfully brought a massive civil fraud case against him, was looming over his shoulder. New York Jets owner Woody Johnson, a major donor, also did. Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg sat largely expressionless during the former president's speech.

When it came time to speak, Trump offered a few one-liners but mostly stuck to insulting his rivals and arguing that Harris' absence was “deeply disrespectful” to Catholics.

Election polls in 2020 showed Biden — who would become the country's second Catholic president — finishing with a five-point lead over Trump among Catholic voters. Trump beat Hillary Clinton by about the same margin four years earlier. When asked about the race in September, Pope Francis simply said that Americans should “choose the lesser of two evils.”

As he often does on the trail, Trump disparaged the vice president's intelligence community.

“Right now we have someone in the White House who can barely speak, can barely put two coherent sentences together, who appears to have the mental capacity of a child. There is a person who has nothing. No intelligence at all,” Trump said. “But enough about Kamala Harris.”

After Trump mocked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Harris' running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, for supporting transgender rights, he took time to acknowledge that politicians have supported the event in the past used to avoid self-deprecating humor.

“No,” he said after a pause. “I have nothing.”

In his remarks, the former president also reiterated his support for New York Mayor Eric Adams, who was indicted by federal prosecutors on corruption charges last month. After wishing Adams “good luck,” Trump repeated the familiar nonsense that the Justice Department had charged Adams over the mayor’s criticism of the Biden administration’s border policies.

“You’re going to win, I think you’re going to win, I know you’re going to win, so good luck,” Trump told Adams. “Good luck. I don't like what they're doing.”

Trump was convicted in New York earlier this year of 34 counts of falsifying business records. He has pleaded not guilty in three other criminal cases in which he has frequently claimed – without evidence – that it was a political vendetta orchestrated by Biden.

Harris was not at the dinner, which was held remotely in 2020 during the Covid pandemic, but sent a video message to attendees.

“The Gospel of Luke tells us that faith has the power to shine a light on those who live in darkness and to guide our feet onto the path of peace,” Harris said. “And in honor of the great Al Smith, we fight to build a better future with faith in God, our country and each other.”

The vice president also performed a skit in her video with comedian Molly Shannon, who reprized her role as Mary Katherine Gallagher from “Saturday Night Live,” the perpetually over-the-top Catholic student who advised Harris “not to say anything negative about Catholics.” say”. their comments.

“I would never do that no matter where I was,” Harris said before delivering her punch line. “That would be like criticizing Detroit in Detroit.”

That's exactly what Trump did last week during a campaign stop in the Motor City, which he compared to a “developing country.”