Comedian and actor Jim Gaffigan got big laughs from one of his toughest gigs on Thursday night, as the master of ceremonies for the 79^th Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner. With approximately 1,000 guests, the audience included presidential candidate and former President Donald J. Trump, religious leaders, and some of the nation’s top government and business figures.

Gaffigan, serving as master of ceremonies of the Al Smith Dinner for the second time, performed for Pope Francis in Philadelphia in 2015. At the 2024 dinner, held October 17 at the New York Hilton Midtown Manhattan Hotel, the Indiana native was introduced by Mary Callahan Erdoes, vice chair of the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation’s board of directors. He poked fun at political figures of both parties and some of the better-known attendees. Here are some of the highlights.

“Good evening, rich people,” Gaffigan said, opening his remarks. “I feel like I’m at a casting call for Daddy Warbucks and I’m not going to get the job.”

“The theme again is ‘let them eat cake,’” he said. The actual theme was “A Party for All Parties.”

I realize that some of you recognize me as the guy who plays Tim Walz on [Saturday Night Live], but I’m going to be fair tonight and make jokes about both Donald Trump and [vice presidential candidate] J.D. Vance,” he said.

After jokes relating to former Mayor of the City of New York Michael Bloomberg, who was seated on the front row of the event’s dais, Gaffigan said, “I love how the front row doesn’t even look at me. Do those seats cost more?” Also seated in the front row was Robert Kraft, CEO of The Kraft Group and owner of the New England Patriots.

In acknowledging the Archbishop of New York, Gaffigan stated his full name and title, “Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan,” commenting, “As the father of five, saying that name feels like I’m trying to get my kids to come to dinner.”

Gaffigan jested with Cardinal Dolan: “The pope did say that this election is a choice between the lesser of two evils. Two-part question: one, do you agree? And two, who is more evil?” He let Cardinal Dolan off the hook by saying, “I’ll come back to you.”

Referring to his own faith, Gaffigan said, “I am Catholic because I truly believe that’s what my wife wants.” He added, “My beautiful wife Jeannie is here with us tonight. She’s not sitting on the dais; she’s sitting out there with all those losers who are only millionaires.”

The MC also poked fun at himself, when a joke didn’t land. “Some of these I wrote during lunch,” Gaffigan said.

The election is “being left up to American voters and four billionaires,” Gaffigan said, adding after a pause, “The cardinal wrote that joke,” causing Cardinal Dolan to laugh.

The Al Smith Dinner raised more than $9 million for the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation, which supports numerous charities throughout the Archdiocese of New York.