A charity dinner known for its good-natured jokes turned into a Tom Brady-like roast led by Donald Trump.
The Republican presidential candidate appeared at the Al Smith dinner in New York with wife Melania by his side, while Vice President Kamala Harris declined to attend in favour of a key campaign event.
Harris managed to get a few swipes in during a pre-recorded clip played to attendees, but many of her jokes got lost in translation.
Trump, meanwhile, was the real comedian of the night (no offence to the evening’s host, comedian Jim Gaffigan) as he unleashed a series of knee-slappers that had guests in stitches.
The event, a fundraiser for Catholic charities supporting children, will likely be the last time the political rivals share a stage before Election Day.
Trump ripped Harris for not attending, making her the first presidential candidate to skip the fundraising event since former vice president Walter Mondale in 1984.
“I guess you should have told her the funds were going to bail out the looters and rioters in Minneapolis and she would have been here guaranteed,” Trump snarked.
Trump went on to blast the group White Dudes for Harris, who had nearly 200,000 attendees on a Zoom gathering in July to show their support for the VP.
“There’s a group called White Dudes for Harris, but I’m not worried about them,” Trump cracked. “Their wives and their wives’ lovers are voting for me.”
The former POTUS made some gender-bending gaffes at the expense of Harris’ running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“I used to think the Democrats were crazy for saying that men have periods,” Trump said. “But then I met Tim Walz.”
As for Schumer, Trump noted: “But look on the bright side, Chuck, considering how woke your party has become, if Kamala loses, you still have a chance to become the first woman president.”
It seemed Schumer took it all in stride as the two men were seen having a friendly chat during the dinner.
Gaffigan, who plays Walz on Saturday Night Live this season, earned some laughs of his own by poking fun at President Joe Biden’s absence from the event.
“President Biden couldn’t be here tonight,” he commented. “The DNC made sure of that.”
The comedian also blasted Harris’ video, noting that it left the audience a little confused.
“As I watched that, I couldn’t help but think of how my kids felt when I call — I FaceTimed into a piano recital,” he said.
Trump wasn’t entirely mean-spirited in his jokes, even touching on his bitter rivalry with both Biden and Harris.
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He admitted he “didn’t like Biden very much but now I like him quite a bit.”
Trump then clarified that the nice feelings are only because Biden stepped down from the presidential race.
As for Harris, he suggested that he could grow fond of her — but only if she loses on Nov. 5.
“When we win, I’ll like her, but right now, I don’t like her,” Trump said.