The hosts of ABC's "The View" did not hold back in their criticism of former President Donald Trump following his appearance at the Al Smith Dinner. On Friday's episode, the co-hosts took aim at Trump's presence and performance at the annual charity event, which they described as "offensive," "awkward," and "didn't land."
The Al Smith Dinner, a prominent white-tie fundraiser for Catholic charities in New York City, is known for its lighthearted atmosphere, where political candidates share jokes and roast one another. However, Trump's attendance drew sharp disapproval from the co-hosts, with Ana Navarro voicing her concern: "To have Donald Trump sitting there, and we are pretending that he is some sort of upstanding citizen-I find that rather offensive." Navarro added that she was glad Vice President Kamala Harris had skipped the event.
Sunny Hostin echoed similar sentiments, questioning the appropriateness of inviting Trump to a Catholic charity event. "That is not a person I think should be normalized by the Catholic Church," she argued. "He stands against everything that a Catholic believes and holds dear." Hostin emphasized her discomfort with Trump being welcomed to the event, stating, "Sometimes there's a time to break tradition. You can't have a felon, a liar, a serial cheater [at a Catholic event]." She also criticized Trump's personal life, adding, "He had Melania next to him-his third wife-whom he cheated on with Stormy Daniels while she was pregnant."
Former Trump White House official Alyssa Farah Griffin joined in, remarking that even apart from the optics of Trump's participation, his jokes at the event fell flat. "It was very awkward," she said, summarizing the general response to his attempts at humor. Co-host Joy Behar added her own twist to Trump's appearance, quipping, "A felon, a liar, and a traitor walk into a Catholic event-that's the joke."
Behar further remarked that she would have preferred Kamala Harris to attend the event instead of holding rallies. However, Navarro disagreed, praising Harris for attending a rally in Wisconsin, where the vice president took a playful jab at hecklers by suggesting they had meant to attend "the smaller one down the street." Harris had opted not to attend the Al Smith Dinner in person, instead sending a pre-recorded message, while Trump attended in person as the Republican candidate.
Despite the backlash, Trump seemed unfazed and even used his platform at the dinner to take a jab at "The View." During his speech, he lamented the state of the show, openly wishing they would "bring Rosie O'Donnell back" and describing the current lineup as "bad news." This comment drew laughter from the audience, but the co-hosts had the last word. Hostin responded, saying she enjoyed "living rent-free" in Trump's head. "I enjoy it. And I enjoy that he has admitted now at least three to four times that he watches the show. Thank you, Donald, hi!" she said with a smile.
The Al Smith Dinner, named after former New York Governor Alfred E. Smith, who was the first Catholic nominated for president by a major U.S. political party, has long been a hallmark of American political tradition. It is considered an opportunity for political figures to showcase a sense of humor, trading jabs in good spirits for a good cause. However, this year's event, with Trump as the primary focus, proved divisive among "The View" panel.
Joy Behar took a broader swing at the evening's tone, questioning whether the Catholic Church was "normalizing a guy who's already broken 11 of the 10 Commandments." Many of Trump's jokes were also directed at Vice President Harris, with one comment suggesting she was busy "receiving communion from [Michigan Governor] Gretchen Whitmer."
In contrast to her co-hosts, Sara Haines argued that Trump's presence was warranted by virtue of his candidacy. "Being the lead Republican candidate that was nominated by his party, whether I agree or not, they need to be there," Haines said. "Because why tell people 'he's crazy, we benched him.' Let him speak for himself." Haines' view represented a minority perspective on the panel, which largely felt that Trump's presence undermined the spirit of the charity event.
The event also saw a surprise appearance from Melania Trump, who has largely stayed out of the public eye during the campaign. Her appearance alongside her husband at the dinner sparked speculation, particularly after her visibly uncomfortable reaction to a joke made by comedian Jim Gaffigan. Referring to Trump's infamous Hollywood Access tape, Gaffigan quipped, "If you're keeping track at home, this is the second time grabbing a kitty has been part of a campaign issue." Melania's reaction was noted by many viewers, who interpreted her demeanor as one of displeasure.
