It was a weird night. Honestly, if you watched the Trump Al Smith Dinner back in October 2024, you probably felt that strange mix of "is he allowed to say that?" and the sheer awkwardness of a white-tie gala turned into a political roast. This dinner, formally known as the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, is supposed to be this polite, self-deprecating tradition. It’s been a staple for nearly 80 years. Candidates usually get up there, make fun of their own hair or their own gaffes, and everyone raises millions for Catholic charities.
But 2024? It wasn't exactly that.
Why the Trump Al Smith Dinner felt different this time
Donald Trump walked into the New York Hilton Midtown with a specific mission: point out that he was there and Kamala Harris wasn't. Harris became the first major-party candidate to skip the event since Walter Mondale in 1984. She sent a pre-recorded video instead—featuring a skit with Molly Shannon’s Mary Katherine Gallagher character—but Trump wasn't having it. He called her absence "deeply disrespectful."
Basically, Trump treated the podium like a campaign rally with better lighting. He didn't just poke fun; he went for the jugular. He took shots at Harris’s mental fitness, Doug Emhoff’s past, and even Chuck Schumer, who was sitting just a few feet away looking remarkably uncomfortable. Trump’s humor has always been a "love it or hate it" thing, but at a Catholic charity event, the profanity and the sharp barbs about "looters and rioters" definitely raised some eyebrows in the room.
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The self-deprecation that wasn't
Usually, you start with a joke about yourself. It’s the rule. Trump actually addressed this. He told the crowd he looked for some self-deprecating jokes but decided against it. His logic? "I just don't see the point of taking shots at myself when other people have been shooting at me." He was referencing the assassination attempts he’d survived earlier that year. It was a heavy moment that shifted the tone from "funny roast" to "dead serious political theater."
Jim Gaffigan didn't hold back either
Jim Gaffigan emceed the night, and he was arguably the only one hitting the traditional "roast" notes correctly. He joked about the room being full of the "ultra-wealthy" and even took a swipe at Melania Trump (who was actually there, making a rare appearance). He quipped that Jesus taught us to forgive 70 times seven times, and Melania might be the first person to actually reach that number. You could practically hear the collective gasp through the television.
The Catholic vote and why this dinner actually matters
You might think a $5,000-a-plate dinner in Manhattan is just for show, but it’s really about the Catholic vote. In 2024, this demographic was seen as the ultimate "swing" group. Catholics aren't a monolith; they're split pretty evenly between Democrats and Republicans. By showing up, Trump was trying to paint himself as the candidate who respects the Church’s traditions, while framing Harris’s absence as a snub to the entire community.
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Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the host, didn't hide his disappointment about Harris skipping out. He mentioned on his podcast and at the event that it was a "puzzling" decision. Harris’s team argued she needed to be in battleground states like Wisconsin. Fair point, maybe. But in politics, optics are everything. Trump sitting there in a tuxedo, laughing with bishops, was a powerful visual for a certain segment of the electorate.
A quick look at the history
To understand why this was such a big deal, you have to look at how this event usually goes:
- 1960: JFK and Nixon set the standard for being "happy warriors."
- 2016: Trump and Hillary Clinton had a famously icy encounter where Trump was actually booed for calling Hillary "corrupt" during his speech.
- 2020: It was virtual because of the pandemic, so the "vibe" was totally lost.
- 2024: The year of the "no-show" and the "no-mercy" monologue.
What most people get wrong about the 2024 night
A lot of the media coverage focused solely on the "mean" jokes. But if you look at the raw transcript, Trump was also doing something else: he was testing out a new kind of "subpoena humor." He joked that it was a pleasure to be in New York without a subpoena. It was his way of leaning into his legal troubles rather than hiding from them.
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The room was a weird mix. You had "Manhattan liberals," as Trump called them, sitting next to some of his biggest donors. The energy was erratic. Some jokes landed with a thud, others got genuine belly laughs. It wasn't the polished, professional comedy you’d see at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. It was raw, often off-script, and kinda chaotic.
The Harris "Video" strategy
Kamala Harris’s video was her attempt to bridge the gap. She used humor—Molly Shannon’s character telling her not to "lie"—to address the 2020 election results. It was a safe play. But safe plays don't always work when your opponent is standing in the room taking live fire at you. The "Detroit in Detroit" joke she made in the video was a callback to Trump’s earlier comments about the city, but without her being there to deliver it, the impact was mostly lost on the dinner guests.
Actionable insights: Why this still matters for the future
If you're following political trends or just curious about how these events shape public opinion, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Watch the "Attendance" Trend: If more candidates start skipping the Al Smith dinner, the tradition might lose its power as a "bipartisan" buffer. It’s one of the few places left where rivals are forced to sit three feet apart.
- Catholic Voters are the North Star: Pay attention to how campaigns talk to this group. It’s not just about religious issues; it’s about cultural respect and "showing up."
- Comedy as a Weapon: The 2024 dinner proved that the "self-deprecating" era of political humor is basically dead. Candidates are now using these platforms for "targeted roasts" rather than "gentle ribbing."
The 2024 Trump Al Smith Dinner was a reminder that the old rules of "gentlemanly" politics have mostly been tossed out the window. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing depends on who you’re voting for, but one thing is certain: it made for a hell of a night of television.
To see how this actually impacted the final numbers, look at the exit polls for Catholic voters in Pennsylvania and Michigan. The shift in those specific areas tells a much larger story than any tuxedoed speech ever could.