Comedian Jim Gaffigan walked a fine line between raunchy humor and outright offensiveness when he delivered the jokes at a political benefit dinner with former President Donald Trump on Thursday night.
He couldn’t resist joking about the infamous “grab them by the pussy” controversy of the 2016 election, despite being in front of an audience comprised of New York’s top Catholic clergy and former first lady Melania Trump at the Al Dinner. Smith.
“You know, during the first and only debate, President Trump talked about immigrants taking cats and eating them,” Gaffigan said.
“You know, if you’re keeping track at home, this is the second time grabbing a kitten has been part of a campaign issue.”
As expected, Melania’s eyes widened at the mention, a handful of boos echoed through the hallway, and then a female voice was heard saying, “We talked about leaving that out.”
While some conservative websites tried to suggest this was an organizer expressing horror, it was actually Gaffigan’s wife, Jeannie.
Comedian Jim Gaffigan hosted Al Smith’s annual dinner, with his wife Jeannie to his right.
She pursed her lips in an effort not to laugh… before failing and smiling widely.
Gaffigan accepted the invitation for a larger response.
“I was going to leave that out,” he said, drawing laughter.
The gala dinner is an annual charity event in memory of New York’s first Catholic governor.
Among the crowd were Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, New York Mayor Eric Adams and state Attorney General Letitia James.
Vice President Kamala Harris skipped the event and sent a video skit instead.
Trump criticized his electoral rival for not being present.
“My opponent feels like he doesn’t have to be here, which is disrespectful to the event and particularly to our great Catholic community, very disrespectful,” Trump said.
‘The last Democrat who didn’t attend this event was Walter Mondale and he didn’t do very well.
First lady Melania Trump seemed unimpressed by some of the jokes.
Among the crowd were Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, New York Mayor Eric Adams and state Attorney General Letitia James.
Mondale suffered a crushing defeat to Ronald Reagan in 1984.
Trump also attacked Harris’ running mate Tim Walz: “This guy is calling us weird.” “But it’s strange that the Democratic candidate is not with us tonight,” he said.
“If the Democrats really wanted someone not to be with us tonight, they would have just sent Joe Biden.”
Harris’ video. Featured actress Molly Shannonwho reprized his Saturday Night Live role as Mary Katherine Gallagher, an overly anxious Catholic schoolgirl.
Harris made a joke at Trump’s expense after Shannon urged her not to say anything negative about Catholics.
Harris said she would never do such a thing. “That would be like criticizing Detroit…in Detroit,” he said, recalling Trump’s recent attack on the city at the Detroit Economic Club.