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Amy Klobuchar joked she would be 'shorter than a Robert Kraft visit to the Orchids day spa' in controversial Gridiron speech

Democratic presidential candidate pokes fun at New England Patriot's owner's recent arrest

Chris Riotta
New York
Monday 04 March 2019 20:41 EST
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US senator Amy Klobuchar steps into presidential race

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Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar has joked about Robert Kraft being charged soliciting prostitution.

Speaking at a Gridiron Club and Foundation dinner, an event known for good-natured roasting through songs, skits and speeches as a break from the daily battles between journalists and government officials, she poked fun at the New England Patriots owner.

She began by promising the audience at the Renaissance Washington Hotel her remarks would be “shorter than a Robert Kraft visit to the Orchids day spa.”

The billionaire, a friend of Donald Trump, has been charged in Florida with two counts of soliciting prostitution at the spa in the town of Jupiter, Florida.

Police said they have footage of the 77-year-old twice engaging in a sex act with prostitutes.

“A woman can tell a dirty joke,” Ms Klobuchar said.

She also referred to a a recent news story which depicted her as a difficult boss. It was claimed that she told off a member of her staff for bringing her a salad without a fork and promptly ate it with a comb.

“How did everyone like the salad?” she said, before asking the crown whether it needed “a little scalp oil” and a “pinch of dandruff.”

Recounting her inaugural campaign speech in a Minneapolis snowstorm, Ms Klobuchar wondered how the president’s hair would fare in a blizzard, after Mr Trump had called her “Snowman(woman)” in the immediate aftermath.

On the Republican side, Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana made fun of his drawl, saying when he appeared on cable TV: “They call me folksy.”

“I think that means they’re surprised I have a college degree,” he added. His advice for life? “Always be yourself,” he said, “unless you suck.”

Joking about the investigation into Russian collusion with Mr Trump's presidential campaign, he said that no one in the administration had been found to be “secretly working for the United States.”

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Mr Trump did not attend the speech this year. His daughter and senior adviser, Ivanka Trump, told the audience that he asked her to step in for him.

“This isn’t a joke,” she said, offering her father’s regrets for not attending, before adding: “The opportunity to poke fun at the media is not something he passes up lightly.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report

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