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Donald Trump claims that Fox allies helped him write his speech at a charity dinner in New York City – but the network itself has denied it.
Trump delivered remarks at the Alfred E Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner on Thursday evening, including jokes at the expense of his Democratic rival Kamala Harris, who did not attend.
The former president was asked about the writers behind his remarks on Fox & Friends on Friday morning after the hosts praised the routine.
Co-host Steve Doocy asked the former president: “Your material was real funny. Who wrote it? Who helped with it?”
“Oh I had a lot of people helping, a couple of people from Fox,” Trump replied. “Actually I shouldn’t say that. But they wrote some jokes and for the most part, I didn’t like any of them.”
But Fox News has since denied that anyone from the network participated in the joke-writing.
“Fox News confirmed that no employee or freelancers wrote the jokes,” a Fox spokesperson told The Independent in a statement on Friday afternoon.
While Trump didn’t elaborate on who he was referring to, Semafor reported that Nick Di Paolo, a comedian and writer who reportedly used to write for the Fox show Gutfeld! but is not associated with the network, was involved.
Two sources familiar with the matter also told CNN that Di Paulo contributed jokes to Trump’s speech. The Independent has not independently confirmed this and Di Paulo has yet to comment.
Trump’s address not only included swipes at his Democratic opponent, the recently-indicted New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and former Mayor Bill de Blasio, whom Trump described as “terrible.”
The Republican nominee also poked fun at his own legal troubles.
“These days, it’s really a pleasure anywhere in New York without a subpoena for my appearance,” Trump told the crowd. “Anytime I don’t get a subpoena, I’m very happy.”
Harris was campaigning in Wisconsin, so she addressed the crowd via a recorded video featuring actress-comedian Molly Shannon, who appeared in costume as her Saturday Night Live Catholic school girl character.
In the video, Harris asked Shannon’s character for her advice on what she should say to the charity dinner guests.
“Don’t lie. Thou shall not bear false witness to thy neighbor,” the comedian replied.
“Indeed, especially thy neighbor’s election results,” Harris quipped, in a jab to Trump’s 2020 election denial claims.