Attendees at the annual Al Smith Dinner in New York City reportedly did not hold back from expressing their disapproval of NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio and NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo, according to some who attended the dinner.
Both de Blasio and Cuomo were greeted with boos and tepid applause when they appeared on the dais, the New York Post reported.
“.@NYCMayor de Blasio introduced to mix of mostly boos and modest applause at annual Al Smith dinner. As he greeted others, @NYGovCuomo got up, walked away to greet other dignitaries — never making eye contact with mayor. Cuomo got a slightly better reception from crowd,” reported one observer.
“Michael Bloomberg walks into Al Smith dinner to lots of applause but DeBlasio gets some boos,” tweeted another.
.@NYCMayor de Blasio introduced to mix of mostly boos and modest applause at annual Al Smith dinner. As he greeted others, @NYGovCuomo got up, walked away to greet other dignitaries — never making eye contact with mayor. Cuomo got a slightly better reception from crowd. pic.twitter.com/iJQznRiwSv
— Rich Calder (@Rich_Calder) October 18, 2018
Michael Bloomberg walks into Al Smith dinner to lots of applause but DeBlasio gets some boos. pic.twitter.com/6pOK0Xh4QG
— Nicole Goodkind (@NicoleGoodkind) October 18, 2018
Since 1945, the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner has been held annually in New York City on the third Thursday of October. Hosted by the Archbishop of New York, the dinner is named after former NY Gov. Al Smith, who was the first Roman Catholic presidential candidate on a major party ticket. Its proceeds go to benefit Catholic charities and often features prominently in presidential campaigns, when opposing candidates will meet together on the dais and exchange jokes at each other’s expense.
President Donald Trump was famously booed and heckled at the dinner in 2016, when he delivered a particularly brutal series of jokes about the audience and his opponent, Hillary Clinton.
“A special hello to all of you in this room who have known and loved me for many, many years,” Trump said during his 2016 speech at the dinner. “The politicians: they’ve had me to their homes, they’ve introduced me to their children, I’d become their best friends in many instances. They’ve asked for my endorsements, and they always wanted my money and even called me really a dear, dear friend—but then suddenly decided, when I ran for president as a Republican, that I’ve always been a no-good, rotten, disgusting scoundrel, and they totally forgot about me.”
“But that’s okay,” he added.