The Al Smith Dinner: A Night of Contrasts

The cardinal should consider a trip to confession. Timothy Dolan, in his role as archbishop, allowed a white-tie charity dinner in New York to highlight the antics of one of the most controversial figures in modern politics, Donald Trump.

At the annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner, Dolan cast a pious glow over Trump, presenting him as a champion of Catholic charitable efforts. With a nearly parental gaze, Dolan watched as Trump delivered his trademark brand of humor, which often veers into the realm of the crude and offensive.

Among the evening’s contentious remarks, Trump quipped, “We have someone in the White House who can barely talk, barely put together two coherent sentences, who seems to have the mental faculties of a child. It’s a person who has nothing going, no intelligence whatsoever. But enough about Kamala Harris.” This kind of commentary, aimed at political rivals, is a staple of Trump’s rhetoric.

Trump further escalated the evening’s tone with this gem: “I used to think the Democrats were crazy for saying that men have periods. But then I met Tim Walz.” Even when he joked about keeping Doug Emhoff away from nannies, he acknowledged it was “too tough.”

Much like his behavior during the 2016 election when he attacked Hillary Clinton while she was present, Trump’s remarks at the dinner added a rancid cloud over what was once a spirited yet good-natured bipartisan roast.

Dolan had an opportunity—a responsibility, even—to stand up and call a halt to Trump’s offensive jokes. We yearn for a voice of authority that could echo Joseph Welch’s famous challenge: “Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last?” This is particularly pertinent in an era where the moral compass seems adrift. After all, it is the church’s role to foster an understanding of right and wrong, especially in the face of such divisive speech.