Vice President Kamala Harris will reportedly not be attending the Al Smith Charity Dinner in New York on October 17.
The Harris campaign told organizers it plans to break with tradition by canceling the annual event where the Democratic candidate receives money for Catholic charities. Harris will eschew a casual roast party with about 1,500 guests in midtown Manhattan and instead campaign in battleground states. According to To CNN.
Comedian Jim Gaffigan will host the Al Smith Dinner in 2024. Gaffigan said It is called Former President Donald Trump, who described her as a “liar and a criminal” after her speech at the 2020 Republican National Convention (RNC), posted an invitation to the annual event on social media on September 6 but made it clear that Harris would not be attending.
“I am honored to be the host of this year's Al Smith Memorial Dinner on October 17th. Unfortunately I don't recognize the two names in the middle of the invitation. Anyone heard of them?” Gaffigan wrote. caption A photo of the invitation with the names of both presidential candidates written on it.
I am honored to be the host of this year's Al Smith Memorial Dinner on October 17th. I am sad to say that I don't recognize the two names in the middle of the invitation. Has anyone heard of them? pic.twitter.com/9qGQayfGHw
— Jim Gaffigan (@JimGaffigan) September 6, 2024
The Trump campaign confirmed that the Republican candidate plans to attend the 2024 Al Smith Dinner, archdiocese spokesman Joseph Zwilling said. New York Post.
Trump is known for blasting his opponents at the annual event, which first took place in 1945. In 2016, he famously blasted unsuccessful 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who was also in attendance, as corrupt. With cameras capturing Clinton's reactions in real time, Trump railed against her WikiLeaks scandal and her “mean woman” catchphrase.
“One of the things I noticed tonight is, I've known Hillary for a long time, this is the first time in history that Hillary has sat down and spoken with leaders of major corporations and she hasn't been paid to do it,” Trump said at the 2016 dinner.
Then-President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden Delivered Both candidates delivered virtual speeches at the 2020 Al Smith Banquet, upholding a decades-old tradition despite COVID-19 restrictions, and used their speeches as an appeal to Catholic voters rather than an opportunity for light-hearted quips.
According to the New York Post, Harris will be the first presidential candidate to decline an invitation to the historic dinner since former Vice President Walter Mondale, Ronald Reagan's unsuccessful Democratic challenger, declined to attend in 1984. (Related: Donald Trump seeks amendment to 25th Amendment to allow removal of vice president from office)
In 1996, the Archdiocese of New York reportedly refused to host then-President Bill Clinton and his Republican opponent Bob Dole because Clinton rejected legislation banning late-term abortions, according to the outlet.
“I'm disappointed she won't be coming. This is a night of unity, regardless of race, creed or background, putting aside political differences to support the cause of helping women and children in need,” Zwilling told the outlet. “I hope she reconsiders.”
This comes after Ms Harris suggested avoiding a second debate with President Trump that was scheduled to air on Fox News, and instead hosting the debate on CNN on October 23. Trump At a rally in North Carolina on Saturday, he rejected a counteroffer from the vice president, denouncing the election as a “massive defeat.”
