Exclusive | Trump made nice with Schumer backstage at Al Smith Dinner before joking Brooklyn Dem could be first woman president
Former President Donald Trump acted to mend fences with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer backstage at Thursday night’s Al Smith Dinner — before tearing them down again with a joke about the Brooklyn Democrat’s odds of becoming the “first woman president.”“You’re my guy, you’re my guy,” Trump, 78, said as he warmly shook Schumer’s hand with both of his ahead of the $5,000-a-plate charity soiree, according to a source close to both men.Schumer, 73, was seated center stage at the white-tie event, but stood up and clapped for the 45th president, who was seated just one place away — next to host Cardinal Timothy Dolan and former first lady Melania Trump.Trump was later caught on camera leaning in and speaking inaudibly to Schumer for several moments before taking the podium to let rip with some of his best material.“Chuck Schumer is here looking very glum,” Trump ribbed the top Senate Democrat while patting him on the back.“Doesn’t he look glum? He looks glum”“But look on the bright side, Chuck,” the Republican nominee added, “considering how woke your party has become, if Kamala loses, you still have a chance to become the first woman president.”The audience erupted with laughter, but Schumer, who was sitting directly to Trump’s left, did not look amused.Trump and his allies have hammered Vice President Kamala Harris throughout the campaign for quietly abandoning her past left-wing stances — including her support for taxpayer-funded sex-reassignment surgeries for prison inmates.“The press is reporting the Democrats are starting to panic,” Trump had said immediately before his one-liner directed to Schumer.
“They are panicking because you know the votes that are coming in are coming in very, very strong — a certain way.I won’t tell you what way that is.”Schumer helped pave the way for Harris’ ascent to the top of the 2024 Democratic ticket by pressuring President Biden to suspend his re-election campaign in...