Melania Trump stares daggers at Hillary Clinton at charity dinner in New York

'All of these liars will be sued after the election': Trump says he'll take legal action against every one of his sexual assault accusers
NFL players' fury at the league for letting off wife abusing Giants kicker: Outcry after Josh Brown is put on PAID leave after he admitted treating his wife like a 'slave' over years of abuse
Trump cuts Hillary's lead in HALF to four points in latest poll, and 70% of Republicans believe vote rigging will hand Hillary victory
U.S. soccer star Lauren Holiday, 28, has brain tumor successfully removed just one month after giving birth to her first child with pro basketball player husband
Was Friday's massive hack mounted through BABY MONITORS? Investigators say attack could have relied on internet-connected household items to flood servers with traffic
Two children, 15 and 11, shot dead by home invaders while their parents were on a night out
Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes 'scolded employees for speaking and had lawyers patrol the company's Silicon Valley HQ' before top scientist who found flaws in her one-prick blood test killed himself
More than 85,000 sign petition to impeach Montana judge who sentenced man to only 60 DAYS in jail for incest rape of 12-year-old girl
Singer kneels to perform the National Anthem at Miami Heat basketball game in Black Lives Matter protest
Hunt on for missing model, 20, who has been missing for a week after moving to New York to star in fashion shows
Heartbreaking family rift over America's right-to-die sweetheart: Brittany Maynard's furious widower hits out at his mother-in-law's 'inaccurate' book on his wife's assisted suicide
Teenage driver who stole and SUV and crashed it on top of a house dies from his injuries in Georgia hospital
High school goalkeeper wakes up from a coma speaking fluent SPANISH after his third concussion almost kills him
Isn't there a REAL woman who deserves it? Wonder Woman stars past and present gather as fictional hero is named UN honorary ambassador for her 75th birthday - despite outcry from women's groups
New York Airbnb hosts now face $7,500 fine as Cuomo enacts the country's toughest regulations to crack down on illegal rentals
A religious revolt in the heart of Christendom: Thousands of Muslims protest outside the Colosseum after small mosques are shut down by the authorities to avoid youngsters becoming radicalized
Pictured: US bomb disposal expert, 34, killed by a roadside IED while fighting ISIS in Iraq alongside Kurdish troops
Police foil London subway bomb plot: The dramatic moment a teenage suspect is arrested after a 'viable improvised explosive device' is found on a train
ISIS executes HUNDREDS of hostages held as human shields in Mosul as desperate families flee jihadis
It's Putin's Russian rustbucket! How the 30-year-old Soviet-era vessel that is on its way to bomb Syria has been plagued with breakdowns... and even has to be followed by its own rescue tug boat
Coalition forces are now just THREE miles from Mosul as the battle to liberate the ISIS stronghold intensifies amid reports of a revolt inside the terror group
Mother-of-five dies after jumping from a moving car to 'escape her abusive husband'
Revealed: Lindsay Lohan is facing BANKRUPTCY after failing to pay $95,000 in rent on her luxury London apartment... as ex-fiance demands her arrest 'for taking his belongings worth $29,000'
Boyfriend is named person of interest in disappearance of Texas college student, 22, who went missing after going on a date to the movies with him

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump both spoke at the Al Smith white tie dinner in New York on Thursday
Candidates could barely look each other in the eye as they arrived at event
Melania was caught staring daggers at Clinton during the dinner
She was later made the butt of a joke by her own husband who referenced her famously plagiarized speech
But Hillary Clinton's husband Bill was nowhere to be seen at the event
He is one of just a handful of presidential candidates not to be invited to speak at the event
Dinner raises money for Catholic charities and has become a staple in presidential campaigns

Published: 22:42 EST, 20 October 2016 | Updated: 01:05 EST, 21 October 2016

e-mail

386

View
comments

No fewer than 24 hours after they traded blows at the final presidential debate, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump faced one another again on Thursday as they attended a white tie charity dinner.

But while Trump's wife Melania stood by the Republican candidate as he cracked jokes about his rival, Bill Clinton was nowhere to be seen.

And she could have done with the backup.

Not only could the candidates barely stand to look one another in the eye as they arrived for the Al Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York, but Melania also had a death stare for Hillary Clinton.

Melania Trump, who wore a sexy backless lace number, stared daggers at Hillary Clinton, who was wearing a Ralph Lauren collection gown, during Al Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria hotel

Clinton, colorful in a fuchsia Ralph Lauren collection gown, had also grimaced as she passed her opponent's wife.

Melania, who wore a sexy, black backless number, was also the source of one of the largest laughs of the evening.

The Republican had turned to his 46-year-old wife, to make light of her lifting of sections of Michelle Obama's speech from the 2008 DNC.

'The media has been so biased, more than ever,' he said. Gearing up for his punchline, he continued: 'This is going to get me in trouble.

'Michelle Obama made a speech and everyone loved it. It was great.

Clinton appeared to frown as she made her way past Trump's beaming wife Melania before he entered the room

'My wife, Melania, made the exact same speech and everyone gets on her case.' Speaking over the roaring laughter of other guests, he said: 'Stand up, Melania!'

Clinton was next, making a self-deprecating speech which poked fun at Trump's portrayal of her as having a lack of stamina.

'This is such a special event that I took a break from my rigorous nap schedule to be here,' she joked.

The former first lady was sat next to Cardinal Timothy Dolan at the top table of the Al Smith Memorial Foundation dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.

Her husband Bill was not included in the event's seating plan.

It is not clear why the former president did not join Clinton at the event.

Clinton made no attempt to disguise her disdain as her opponent launched his string of insults against her

Cardinal Dolan gave Trump a warm pat on the back as he made his way towards his seat. The Donald, meanwhile, cast a less kind expression to his opponent as she looked away

But he may still be smarting from his lack of invite while he was a presidential candidate.

The dinner raises money for Catholic charities and has become a staple in presidential campaigns. It is such a ritual that it even has its own episode of The West Wing dedicated to it.

But there have been rare breaks in tradition. One of those was in 1996 - while Bill Clinton was campaigning for a second term - when neither presidential candidate was invited to speak.

The official explanation was that the candidates were not able to confirm attendance. But it was widely reported that Catholic leaders were furious with Clinton after he vetoed a bill that would have outlawed late-term abortions.

Presidential candidates were also excluded in 2004, and once again, there was speculation that it was due to Democratic nominee John Kerry’s pro-choice stance.