Donald Trump claims 'end of pandemic in sight' at Al Smith Dinner before US election 2020
'King Hamad has challenged old assumptions'
This year the famous and traditionalAlfred E. Smith Memorial Dinner, an annual Catholic event that is known for giving the opponents a chance to keep politics aside for a night.
The dinner, which is arranged by the Catholic Church in New York, usually includes a guest list of the big names from the country and aims to raise money for the charity while having a hearty laugh.
However, this year's dinner shifted online due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and the air was a little grim due to the ongoing feud between the two candidates.
The US PresidentDonald Trumpand his Democratic rivalJoe Bidenaddressed the dinner virtually and mainly stuck to talking about politics, rather than sharing anecdotes like in the past.
Talking about how "these are difficult times",Biden mainly talked about the grim situation in the country caused by the novel coronavirus and blamedTrumpfor the loss ofmore than 200,000 Americans.
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
National Handloom Day 2026: From Alia Bhatt to Samantha Ruth Prabhu; Actresses who celebrated India's textile heritage as brides
)
The Royals enter the Doctor Who universe: King Charles and Queen Camilla beam into Commonwealth Games in TARDIS
)
Unitree Robotics targets $9 billion valuation in landmark IPO backed by DeepSeek and Tencent
)
India names 27 sites in Arunachal Pradesh
)
Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata OTT: When will Kangana Ranaut's film stream online?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How many soldiers operate one S-400 battery?
)
Shakib Al Hasan ready to return to Bangladesh—under one condition
)
‘Fake news’: MEA rejects report claiming India sought defence pact with Israel after Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey deal
)
Rockstar to unveil GTA 6 extended look ahead of November launch
)
Russia forms Ukrainian Volunteer Spetsnaz Brigade to fight Ukraine
)
Drug-resistant fungus that hides in hair and enters bloodstream reported in 23 US states
)
Technology transfer deal boosts India's defence manufacturing ambitions
)
Border row erupts in Europe after Ceuta crossings, Spain imposes border controls on Italy
)
Morale plummets on USS Abraham Lincoln: Are US sailors reaching a breaking point? | GRAVITAS
)
'Security can't be bought with Pakistan, Turkey deal': Iran tells Saudi Arabia
)
Baba Vanga's 2026 prophecy: 2 predictions 'already came true', 3 terrifying ones remain. Details inside
)
Colombia’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella vows to ‘defeat narco-terrorists’, signals hardline shift
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New Friday OTT releases (August 7, 2026): Operation Safed Sagar, Vadhandhi, Main Vaapis Aaunga- 6 movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
Squadron Leader Bhawana Kanth scripts history as Indian Air Force gets its first woman ‘Top Gun’ pilot
)
RSS says Gen Z protests reflect genuine distress
)
Trump says Iranian school bombing photos could be AI-generated - 'I don’t think...'
)
IAF officer held for sharing sensitive information in 'honey trap' case, booked under Official Secrets Act
)
Stray Kids under scrutiny? Fans react to Grammy submission silence after BTS boycott
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI doesn't need external fuel tanks to fly vast distances
)
Jugal Hansraj reunites with Shekhar Kapur after 40 years for Masoom: The Next Generation
)
New speed limits, automatic challans: Big traffic change coming to Delhi-Meerut Expressway. All you need to know
)
India officially names 27 places in Arunachal to counter China's renaming claims
)
Trump calls White House ballroom ruling a 'national disgrace' as court says Congress approval needed
)
US sanctions Iran’s crypto network after Strait of Hormuz attacks, offers $15m bounty for intel on IRGC finance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the Su-30MKI is one of the heaviest fighters ever built
)
Uttarakhand young innovator builds India's own flying vehicle, conducts first test flight: WATCH
)
Chilling video shows students take cover as teen opens fire at Thai school
)
Reese Witherspoon's father hospitalised after poolside incident in Nashville: Report
"I know there is disappointment that the dinner tonight couldn't continue as normal, for us to sit together and put politics aside for the night," Biden said.
However,Trump, who is infamous for downplaying coronavirus and claiming — then denying — that the pandemic will end soon, did just the same yet again and said that end of the pandemic "is in sight".
He also reminded the attendees that he once offered monetary help to the Catholic schools. "It was my great honor to help the Catholic church with its schools. They needed hundreds of millions of dollars nationwide and I got it for 'em, nobody else, I got it for 'em. I hope you remember that on November 3rd," he said.
To lighten up the mood of the otherwise grim dinner,Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan joked about a smooth transition of themicrophone from Biden to Trump. "See Mr. President, that wasn't so hard was it?," he laughed.