Alfred E. Smith Dinner
Tonight, in Manhattan was as hectic as it gets, and the no-nonsense security detail for the 79th Annual Alfred E. Smith Foundation Dinner was as tight as I've witnessed during the past decade. Arriving at the midtown New York Hilton around 7pm, one faced three Security checkpoints before even getting close to the hotel's legendary ballroom. Of course, it was no wonder, as the main speaker for the evening was the white-tied and tanned former President, Queens County's very own Donald J. Trump, who himself was surrounded by an overly crowded dais that included a host of dignitaries - none more so appropriate for this traditional New York evening than His Eminence, Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan (who I might add, was looking healthily slim and fit!). Amidst the numerous poo-bahs of corporate New York and their local political equals, the most glaring non-attendee was our Nation's standing Vice President and Democratic candidate for the Presidency, Madame Kamala Harris. Her absence (she did send a questionable video message) did not sit well with the usually non-partisan crowd, which on this evening was decidedly more Right than Left - my political barometer being the decibel level of response to the VERY partisan jokes being told from the podium and retold at the 100+ guest tables stretched throughout the beyond capacity Main Ballroom.
Veterans of this fabled dinner well know that the substantial funds annually raised for this cultural landmark support New York's most vulnerable women and children, and the well-deserved haul for the evening already exceeded $9 million- three times the average funds raised for most major charitable and cultural institutions. Trump being Trump, he insulted two NYC Mayors who were seated on the same dais - far south of the podium - calling former Mayor Bill de Blasio "easily the worst mayor ever".
Donald J. Trump
(Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Yet, and ever the fund-raising competitor, former President Trump made nice with former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, urging him to "help us this great evening" by contributing the balance of funds needed by the Alfred E. Smith Foundation to exceed the $10 million milestone. As of midnight, there were no further gifts yet recorded from Mayor Mike. Nor indeed from Donald Trump.
Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg and CEO of New England Patriots Robert Kraft (Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)
Mayor of New York City Eric Adams
(Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)