Harris to skip Catholic charity dinner bucking decades-long tradition

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 23, 2024 / 17:15 pm

Vice President Kamala Harris is breaking with four decades of political tradition by snubbing the Al Smith Dinner, a charity fundraiser hosted by the Catholic Archdiocese of New York.

The New York Post reported on Saturday that Harris has decided to skip the event. This is the first time a presidential candidate has refused an invitation to the dinner since then-Democratic nominee Walter Mondale did so in 1984.

New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who as archbishop has served as host of the dinner for the past several years, sitting between the two candidates, responded to the decision by telling reporters that the archdiocese is “disappointed.” 

According to a video snippet of a press conference posted online by the news arm of the Archdiocese of New York, “The Good Newsroom,” the cardinal said on Monday that the archdiocese had been “looking forward to giving the vice president an enthusiastic welcome.”

“We’re not used to this, we don’t know how to handle it,” he said, noting that Mondale lost 49 out of 50 states after refusing the archdiocese’s invitation.

“I don’t want to say that there’s a direct connection there,” he said, smiling, “but we’re not used to this and we’re not giving up.” 

Joseph Zwilling, communications director for the Archdiocese of New York, confirmed to CNA that Harris’ staff informed the archdiocese on Saturday that the vice president was “unable” to attend the dinner. Harris’ staff has said she will not be attending the dinner so that she can instead campaign in key battleground states, according to the New York Post.

Former president Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, will attend the $5,000-a-plate black-tie event, which is scheduled to take place on Oct. 17 in New York City, Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s 2024 national press secretary, told CNA.

Trump said in a Monday Truth Social post that Harris’ decision to skip the event is consistent with what he called her “history of anti-Catholic actions.”

“It’s sad, but not surprising, that Kamala has decided not to attend,” Trump said. “I don’t know what she has against our Catholic friends, but it must be a lot because she certainly has not been very nice to them.”

Trump said that Catholics are “literally being persecuted” by the Biden-Harris administration and that “any Catholic that votes for Comrade Kamala Harris should have their head examined.”  

The Al Smith Dinner, first held in 1946, was named in honor of the first Catholic to run for president and raises millions of dollars for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York.

The event has seen the participation of some of the most prominent political and cultural figures of the 20th and 21st centuries. Since John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon attended the dinner in 1960, it has been a tradition for both presidential nominees to attend and exchange lighthearted jokes about each other.

At this year’s dinner prominent Catholic comedian Jim Gaffigan will be the master of ceremonies. 

According to Dolan, the archdiocese has not given up hope on Harris attending. He said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who represents New York, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul are “working hard to see that they convince her to come.”

“Sen. Schumer said to me: ‘I don’t think she made the decision; I think her schedulers are saying she can’t make it,’” Dolan said. “So, we’re not giving up, we hope she’s there. It’s a grand evening and it’s an evening of fun and friendship with an extraordinarily noble goal.”

Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League, a national Catholic civil rights group, told CNA that Harris’ decision is “probably a good move” given the format of the event.  

“This is a high-profile event that is well covered by the media and it is attended by New York notables from many walks of life. It is a jovial atmosphere where both candidates get a chance to ‘roast’ the other. My guess is that Vice President Kamala Harris is not used to such a setting,” Donohue explained.

“Her less-than-average ability to think quickly on her feet surely must have been a factor in her taking a pass,” he said. “The event would play to Trump’s strengths — he is a New Yorker — and her weakness.”