geeky
The first dinner was in 1945, the year after Al Smith's death. In presidential election years it is generally the last event at which the two U.S. presidential candidates share a stage before the election. Since 1960, when Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy were speakers, it has been a stop for the two main presidential candidates and this year was no exception. Last night (October 20, 2016), Donald J. Trump and Hillary Clinton both spoke at the dinner, an event usually intended to be an exercise in campaign humility, collegiality, civility and self-deprecation.
At this year's dinner, Trump, the Republican candidate, spoke first. He jokingly alluded to his being Christ-like, saying that he was just another carpenter working for his father in his youth. Perhaps his funniest line was a reference to accusations that his wife Melania had plagiarized a speech given by first lady Michelle Obama. He talked about the “biased” news media and said “You want the proof? Michelle Obama gives a speech, and everyone loves it. My wife, Melania, gives the exact same speech and people get on her case.”
Trump made a self-deprecating joke (“Modesty is my best quality”) and he also took a shot at the media, describing them as “Hillary’s team”.
But his remarks became less collegial later on, as he called Clinton "so corrupt" and insinuated that she hated Catholics. Some of these remarks attracted boos and jeers from the affluent crowd, causing Trump to remark, "I don’t know who they’re angry at, Hillary, you or I."
Trump also joked about his opponent acting illegally. He said, "Just before taking the dais, Hillary accidentally bumped into me. And she very civilly said, ‘Pardon me,’ and I very politely replied, ‘Let me talk to you about that after I get into office.’”
Trump became more mean-spirited when he told the crowd that his opponent was merely “pretending not to hate Catholics,” an allusion to hacked correspondences from Clinton aides. He wondered how someone like Mrs. Clinton — “so corrupt,” he said — could sell herself to the American people. “What’s her pitch?” he asked. “The economy is busted, the government’s corrupt, Washington is failing. Vote for me.” He also suggested that the reason Clinton was not laughing as much as others at his jokes was because “all the jokes were given to her in advance.”
As for Hillary Clinton, she began with some self-deprecation, saying “I took a break from my rigorous nap schedule to be here,” adding, “Usually I charge a lot for speeches like this.” She wondered how President Obama might be able to visit the White House for a reunion of former presidents under a Trump administration. “How is Barack going to get past the Muslim ban?” Noting that she was speaking second, she said: “It’s amazing I’m up here after Donald. I didn’t think he’d be O.K. with a peaceful transition of power.”
Clinton said that Trump had generously sent a car to drive her to the dinner. “Actually, it was a hearse,” she said.
She joked about Trump's objectifying women, referring to the Statue of Liberty and how for most Americans, it represents a shining beacon of hope and a welcome symbol for immigrants arriving on the nation’s shores. She said that Trump “looks at the Statue of Liberty and sees a 4. Maybe a 5 if she loses the torch and tablet and changes her hair.” She continued, “You know, come to think, know what would be a good number for a woman? 45.” (If you don't get the joke, the next president will be the 45th). She concluded her remarks on a more serious note, referencing the anti-Catholic prejudice that Al Smith had to endure.
The dinner was chaired by Smith's descendant Alfred E. Smith IV, the chairman of the dinner, who had a few witty lines of his own. He told the crowd, “Before the dinner started, Trump went to Hillary and asked, ‘How are you?’ She said, ‘I’m fine — now get out of the ladies’ dressing room.’”
Here is a video of some of the most memorable lines from the dinner, as selected by CNN.