Former President Donald Trump repeatedly bashed Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday for turning down an invitation to attend the Al Smith charity dinner in New York, calling her absence “disrespectful.”
“It’s been a long tradition for both Democrat and Republican candidates for president of the United States to attend this dinner. Always, it’s a rule. You gotta go to the dinner. You gotta do it. Otherwise, bad things are gonna happen to you from up there,” Trump said at the Catholic charity dinner.
Trump, who spoke after a video message from Harris played at the dinner, said: “You can’t do what I just saw on that screen. But my opponent feels like she does not have to be here, which is deeply disrespectful to the event and in particular to our great Catholic community. Very disrespectful.”
Throughout his speech at the dinner, Trump told several jokes and took swipes at prominent Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who was seated next to the podium.
“Tradition holds that I’m supposed to tell a few self-deprecating jokes this evening. So here it goes. Nope, I’ve got nothing. I’ve got nothing. There’s nothing to say,” the former president said.
Trump said, “It’s a true pleasure to be with you this evening. Amazing pleasure, and these days it’s really a pleasure, anywhere in New York, without a subpoena for my appearance.”
