Donald Trump booed as he and Hillary Clinton trade biting jokes

Donald Trump: "Just before taking the dais, Hillary accidentally bumped into me. And she very civilly said, 'Pardon me'. I politely replied, 'Let me talk to you about that after I get into (the

White House

) office.'" Hillary Clinton: "Donald really is as healthy as a horse...you know the one Putin rides around on."

These were just two of several corrosive jokes that Trump and Clinton scalded each other with, in what turned out to be rancorous evening that supplanted a great American tradition of political opponents indulging in a jibe-filled but socially convivial roast ahead of the election.

The

Alfred Smith

memorial charity dinner is a pre-election ritual going back to Nixon vs Kennedy, one of several co medic gigs that allow the stuffy political establishment to let their hair down after fierce ideological and policy battles.While jokes are sharp and piercing, there is a degree of levity and self-deprecation.

All that has gone out of the window in the Trump vs Clinton scrap, their mutual animo sity evident in their separate entries and minimal engagement as they were seated on either side of a cardinal. The smiles were forced, more of a grimace for most part, and there was the unusual spectacle of jeers and hoots from elite New Yorkers, much of it directed against Trump given the libe ral bent of the audience.

Trump began well enough with a couple of self-deprecating gags, including how he was a modest person, and modesty was his best quality ("even better than my temperament") and the size of his hands. In fact, he even ribbed his wife Melania, complaining that while the media praised Michelle Obama's speech, they criticised Melania when she delivered the exact same speech (in a dig about allegations that his wife plagiarised the First Lady's speech).

That was about as good as it got. Soon the tone became bitter and mean-spirited as Trump called Hillary corrupt to her face and ridiculed her work for earthquake victims in Haiti. "Everyone knows, of course, Hillary's belief that, 'It takes a village,' which only makes sense, after all, in places like Haiti, where she's taken a number of them," he jibed.

But while Trump kept off the subject of sexual peccadilloes involving the Clintons, Hillary, who was no less meanspirited, flirted around Trump's scandals after the usual self-deprecatory start ("I took a break from my rigorous nap schedule to be here. And as all of you heard, it's a treat for all of you, because usually I charge a lot for speeches like this.") "People look at the Statue of Liberty , and they see a proud history of a nation of immigrants -a beacon of hope for people around the world.Donald looks at the Statue of Liberty and sees a 4. Maybe a 5 if she loses the torch and tablet and changes her hair."

She also rode on Trump's taunts to showcase how much better she is qualified to be president saying "a good number would be 45" (the next president would be USA's 45th). And in a reference to Trump's suggestion that she was on drugs, she joked, "Yes, I did take a performance enhancer...it's called preparation."