Trump says ‘people from Fox’ helped him write Al Smith dinner speech. The network denies it

New York
CNN
 — 

Former President Donald Trump stated Friday that Fox Information staffers helped him write his Al Smith charity dinner speech, wherein he cracked jokes and insulted his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Trump made the remark throughout an interview on “Fox and Associates,” throughout which he was requested about his monologue on the Thursday evening occasion in Manhattan. Host Steve Doocy stated Democrats traditionally “flip to the blokes from ‘Saturday Night time Dwell’ or the ‘Tonight Present;’ they write all their materials,” earlier than asking Trump who helped write his speech.

“I had lots of people, a pair folks from Fox truly, I shouldn’t say that. However they wrote some jokes. For probably the most half I didn’t like all of them,” Trump stated to laughter from the co-hosts.

Throughout his speech to the pleasant Catholic charity crowd, Trump disparaged Harris’ intelligence, insulted her household, and complained about how badly he was handled throughout his presidency, drawing occasional cheers and a few laughs.

Whereas many Fox Information personalities are overtly pro-Trump, utilizing their tv platforms to advertise the previous president and his narratives, it’s uncommon to see one in all them take part in a proper manner together with his marketing campaign. However it wouldn’t be the primary time. In 2018, host Sean Hannity campaigned with Trump forward of the midterm elections.

In a press release to CNN, Fox Information denied that any of its employees helped Trump with the jokes.

“FOX Information confirmed that no worker or freelancer wrote the jokes,” a community spokesperson stated.

Two folks aware of the matter stated comic Nick Di Paolo, who has written jokes for Fox Information host Greg Gutfeld however doesn’t work for the community, assisted Trump together with his speech.

The Trump marketing campaign didn’t reply to CNN’s request for remark.

Trump additionally instructed the present’s hosts that following the interview he deliberate to fulfill with the right-wing community’s founder, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, demanding the outlet block ads and figures on its air crucial of Trump’s candidacy.

“I’m going to see Rupert Murdoch,” Trump stated. “I don’t know if he’s thrilled that I say it. And I’m going to inform him, I’m going to inform him one thing quite simple, as a result of I can’t speak to anyone else about it; don’t placed on unfavorable commercials for 21 days, don’t put them — and don’t placed on the air their horrible folks, they arrive and lie.”

“I’m going to say, ‘Rupert, please do it this manner,” Trump stated, predicting he’ll get his manner. “We’re going to have a victory as a result of I believe everybody desires that.”

“I believe you shouldn’t play unfavorable advertisements,” Trump instructed the hosts. “It’s very robust. You do a present — and I complain on a regular basis about it, I really like complaining, I really like complaining, I prefer to have the whole lot excellent — however after I depart right here, I’ll have 200 folks,” Trump stated, trailing off.

“As a result of they purchase time on Fox,” host Brian Kilmeade interjected.

The previous president’s feedback come after years of strained relations between the community and its founder, with Trump having beforehand referred to as Murdoch a “MAGA Hating Globalist RINO” whereas accusing him of “aiding & abetting the DESTRUCTION OF AMERICA.”

On Thursday, Trump additionally criticized the community’s chief government, Suzanne Scott, for giving airtime to Democrats.

“Why does Suzanne Scott of Fox Information maintain placing on third price ‘speaking heads’ like Jessica Tarlov, Richard Fowler, Patrick Murphy, ‘one thing’ Wolf, Keisha Lance Bottoms, and different Radical Left Lunatics that lie, and make up statements, with Fox, hardly ever having any counter to their storytelling?” Trump wrote on his Reality Social platform. “If I win and, I hope for the Nation’s sake that I do, and this Radical Left Moron, Kamala, doesn’t get an opportunity to run the Nation, it’s DESPITE Fox, not due to them!”

Trump’s assaults on Fox got here after Harris sat down with anchor Bret Baier for her first-ever formal interview with the community this week, drawing almost 8 million viewers, simply surpassing the three.1 million who watched Trump’s all-women city corridor that aired earlier within the day on Fox.

CNN’s Kristen Holmes contributed reporting.