Trump delivers harsh remarks on Clinton at New York dinner

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Thursday night offered a tough takedown of his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton at the Al Smith dinner.

"It's great to be here with 1,000 wonderful people. Or, as I call it, a small, intimate dinner with some friends. Or as Hillary calls it, her largest crowd of the season," CNN reported Trump as saying, to which Clinton laughed.

He said Clinton wants him to be her ambassador to Iraq or Afghanistan -- "it's my choice".

Trump made reference to calling Clinton a "nasty woman" in Wednesday nights' presidential debate -- and compared his feelings about Clinton to his years-old beef with Rosie O'Donnell.

"After listening to Hillary rattle on and on and on, I don't think so badly of Rosie O'Donnell anymore. In fact, I'm actually starting to like Rosie a lot," he said.

Midway through his remarks, the crowd turned on Trump -- booing as he attacked Clinton's use of a personal email server and accusing her of ducking FBI questions.

"According to her sworn testimony, Hillary has forgotten more things than most of us will ever, ever know -- that I can tell you," Trump said, to crickets. "We're having some fun here tonight."

"I wasn't really sure if Hillary was going to be here tonight because, I guess, you didn't send her invitation by email. Or maybe you did, and she just found out about it through the wonder of WikiLeaks," CNN quoted Trump as saying.

"We've learned so much from WikiLeaks. For example, Hillary believes that it is vital to deceive the people by having one public policy and a totally different policy in private."

When the audience booed at that line, Trump said, "That's OK, I don't know who they're angry at, Hillary, you or I. For example, here she is tonight, in public, pretending not to hate Catholics."

The two did not shake hands or acknowledge each other on their way to their seats.

The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner -- held the third Thursday of every October -- is a tradition in American presidential politics and marks the last time the two nominees share a stage.

Named for the former New York Governor and first Catholic to receive a major party nomination when Democrats tapped him to oppose Herbert Hoover in 1928, the Manhattan event has an attendance of more than 1,500 donors who give more than $3,000 each to Catholic charities for tickets.

--IANS

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