Trump Claims Fox News Staff Helped Him Write Al Smith Dinner Speech; Network Denies Involvement
Former President Donald Trump stirred controversy on Friday by claiming that staffers from Fox News assisted him in writing his speech for the Al Smith charity dinner, where he took aim at Vice President Kamala Harris with a series of jokes and insults. During an interview on Fox and Friends, Trump discussed his performance at the event, which was held on Thursday night in Manhattan.
Trump’s Remarks on Speechwriting
When host Steve Doocy asked who helped him craft his speech, Trump responded, “I had a lot of people, a couple people from Fox actually, I shouldn’t say that. But they wrote some jokes. For the most part, I didn’t like any of them.” His comments elicited laughter from the show’s co-hosts.
At the dinner, Trump made disparaging remarks about Harris’ intelligence, mocked her family, and vented about his treatment during his presidency, drawing both cheers and laughter from the audience.
Fox News Responds
Despite Trump’s claims, Fox News quickly issued a statement denying any involvement from its employees in writing the jokes. A spokesperson for the network stated, “FOX News confirmed that no employee or freelancer wrote the jokes.” However, sources close to the situation revealed that comedian Nick Di Paolo, known for writing jokes for Greg Gutfeld but not formally affiliated with Fox, assisted Trump with his speech.
Meeting with Rupert Murdoch
In the same interview, Trump mentioned plans to meet with Rupert Murdoch, the founder of Fox News, to discuss blocking negative advertisements about his candidacy. “I’m going to tell him something very simple… don’t put on negative commercials for 21 days,” Trump stated, expressing confidence that he would be able to persuade Murdoch. “We’re going to have a victory because I think everyone wants that,” he added.
Trump expressed his dissatisfaction with the network’s coverage, stating, “Why does Suzanne Scott of Fox News keep putting on third-rate ‘talking heads’… that lie, and make up statements?” He criticized the network for featuring Democratic figures and stated that any potential victory in the upcoming election would be “despite Fox, not because of them.”
Ongoing Tensions with Fox News
Trump’s comments come in the wake of a tumultuous relationship with Fox News, where he previously labeled Murdoch a “MAGA Hating Globalist RINO” and accused him of contributing to the “DESTRUCTION OF AMERICA.” The former president’s remarks also followed Vice President Harris’s high-profile interview with Bret Baier, which attracted nearly 8 million viewers, significantly outpacing Trump’s earlier town hall that drew 3.1 million viewers.
As the political landscape continues to evolve, Trump’s interactions with Fox News and his criticisms of the network’s coverage will likely remain a focal point in the lead-up to the next election.
Keywords: Donald Trump, Fox News, Al Smith dinner speech, Kamala Harris, Rupert Murdoch, Nick Di Paolo, political commentary, media relations, presidential candidacy
