The Al Smith Dinner, an annual charity event hosted by Archbishop of New York Timothy Dolan, takes on added significance every four years, when both presidential nominees typically take a break from their campaigning a few weeks before the election to rub elbows with New York City’s leaders and philanthropists and tell jokes at their opponent’s expense.
Normally, the guest list includes two political adversaries who disagree on the issues, but nevertheless remain civil and respectful of one another. Normally.
After a relatively flat start to his remarks—at one point he called his own jokes “corny”—Donald Trump abandoned humor altogether in favor of jabbing Hillary Clinton, to the dismay of the audience.
The boos and hisses from the crowd were relatively muted at first, but by the end of his speech, there was very little being held back.
A trademark characteristic of Al Smith Dinner speeches is a willingness to laugh at oneself. In 2008, Barack Obama made fun of his physical appearance and his lack of humility. In 2012, Romney cracked wise about his wealth. Donald Trump’s biggest laugh line came at the expense of his own wife, and otherwise failed at self-deprecation.
For her part, Hillary Clinton’s speech largely reached for the low-hanging fruit, a plentiful bounty when talking about the Trump campaign.
“It’s amazing I’m up here after Donald,” she quipped. “I didn’t think he’d be okay with a peaceful transition of power,” referencing Trump’s threat that he might challenge the results of the election if he doesn’t win.
She attacked Trump’s questionable wealth too, perhaps the one subject that Trump is most sensitive about. “It is great, also, to see Mayor Bloomberg here. It’s a shame he’s not speaking tonight, I’m curious to hear what a billionaire has to say.”
But Clinton was also devastatingly biting at times.
RIP Rudolph Giuliani (1944-2016).
Cause of death: Dragging by Hillary Clinton. pic.twitter.com/XaIeKpbsBe— shauna (@goldengateblond) October 21, 2016
“We’ve got the Honorable Chuck Schumer, the Honorable Andrew Cuomo, the Honorable Mike Bloomberg, the Honorable Bill de Blasio, the Honorable Dave Dinkins, and so many other wonderful elected officials,” she said, motioning around the room. “And we have Rudy Giuliani.” Cameras caught Giuliani’s humorless face moments later.
Clinton also made subtle reference to Trump’s lurid history of sexual abuse allegations made against him, and his hatred and fear of immigrants.
“It’s always a special treat for me to be back in New York, a city that I love, and which I think truly embodies the best of America,” she said. “People look at the Statue of Liberty and they see a proud symbol of our history as a nation of immigrants, a beacon of hope for people around the world. Donald looks at the Statue of Liberty and sees a four. Maybe a five, if she loses the torch and tablet and changes her hair.”
It wasn’t all rosy for the Democratic nominee, though: she appeared to spend a great deal of the evening interpreting Donald Trump’s remarks to a confused Cardinal Dolan seated beside her.