Brian Stelter Acknowledges Trump’s Humor at Al Smith Dinner: “A Few Great Jokes”

CNN’s chief media analyst and long-time critic of former President Donald Trump, Brian Stelter, expressed surprise at Trump’s comedic performance during the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Dinner in New York City. Stelter, who returned to CNN after his show was canceled in 2022, admitted that Trump was “funny” and made some “great jokes” during his speech.

Reflecting on the evening, Stelter praised Trump’s ability to inject humor into serious topics, including his remarks about the assassination attempts he faced. During the event, Trump quipped, “Tradition holds that I’m supposed to tell a few self-deprecating jokes this evening. So here it goes. Nope. I’ve got nothing. I’ve got nothing. There’s nothing to say. I guess I just don’t see the point of taking shots at myself when other people have been shooting at me for a hell of a long time.”

Stelter noted that Trump’s ability to joke about traumatic incidents, such as the shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania, and the assassination attempt at his golf course in West Palm Beach, showcased a different side of the former president. “I think he’s experiencing real trauma, real PTSD as a result of the shootings,” Stelter remarked. “But he’s still able to have a light moment in this room.”

However, Stelter didn’t shy away from critiquing Trump either, particularly for mispronouncing Vice President Kamala Harris’ name during his speech. Stelter commented, “It is frustrating though that he will not pronounce her name correctly. It’s not difficult. And he goes out of his way to insult her in a way that I think is racially-tinged.”

Other members of CNN’s panel had a less favorable view of Trump’s performance. Commentator Karen Finney, appearing on CNN This Morning, wasn’t convinced by the humor, stating, “I don’t know if it was funny.” She also defended Vice President Harris, who chose to skip the dinner, suggesting that the event’s atmosphere didn’t align with her campaign priorities.

Finney explained, “That is a stuffy room full of insiders, the quintessential backroom kind of old New York, old, stodgy, mostly White men … and she’s not of that. That’s not who she is. That’s not where she comes from.”

Harris’ absence marked a break from tradition, as it was the first time in four decades that a major presidential candidate skipped the prestigious Al Smith Dinner. Instead of attending in person, Harris appeared via a prerecorded video message, which was aired before Trump’s speech. The video also included comedian Molly Shannon playing her famous character, Mary Katherine Gallagher, from Saturday Night Live. However, Harris’ decision not to attend sparked criticism, with both Trump and comedian Jim Gaffigan poking fun at her absence.

In defense of Harris, Finney argued that her decision was strategic. “There was not anything for her to gain by going to that dinner. There was a lot more for her to gain in a hundred-day campaign in particular, to be on the road,” she concluded.