Bill Clinton's absence from the Al Smith Dinner made things awkward for New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, whose attention was hogged by Hillary Clinton, Bill Donohue tells Newsmax TV.
"She kind of owned Cardinal Dolan last night and put him in a tough position," Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, said Friday on "America Talks Live."
"She was able to kind of schmooze with Cardinal Dolan a lot more than [Donald] Trump because Trump had his wife [Melania] there."
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The Thursday night event, an annual fundraiser for Catholic charities supporting needy children, is held at Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. It's generally a light-hearted affair attended by a Who's Who of politicians, celebrities, media bigs, and Catholic leaders.
But there was tension in the air this year because of the intense friction between Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, and Clinton, his Democratic rival, who sat at the head table on each side of Dolan.
And with the former president not there, it gave Hillary Clinton "this opportunity" with Dolan, Donohue said.
Donohue is the author of "Unmasking Mother Teresa's Critics," published by Sophia Institute Press.
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