Cardinal Dolan is ‘upset’ that Harris was absent from Al Smith’s dinner
Cardinal Timothy Dolan said on an Oct. 15 podcast that it was “unfortunate” that Vice President Kamala Harris would be absent from the Al Smith Dinner, a fundraising event traditionally attended by presidential candidates. said. (Conversation Podcast with Cardinal Dolan)
Vice President Kamala Harris will virtually attend Thursday night’s historic Al Smith dinner, the Archdiocese of New York confirmed to Fox News Digital.
Joseph Zwilling, communications director for the Archdiocese of New York, told Fox News Digital on Thursday that “Vice President Harris will appear via a pre-recorded message.”
Harris will be the first presidential candidate in 40 years not to physically attend a Catholic Charities event, since 1984, when unsuccessful Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale was absent. Former President Trump is scheduled to attend Thursday’s event and address a packed audience.
On this week’s podcast, New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan was outraged by Harris’ disdain for the historic Catholic Charities event.
Kamala Harris plans to skip historic Al Smith dinner despite longstanding tradition
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at the Economic Club of Pittsburgh on the Carnegie Mellon University campus on September 25, 2024 in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Jean J. Pasker)
“Unfortunately, Kamala Harris isn’t going to be here, so it’s going to be unbalanced this year,” Dolan said on Wednesday’s podcast. “This is unfortunate because the essence of the night is to bring people together. The essence of the night is civility, patriotism and humor. This is not a campaign speech. This is not a campaign stop.”
He added in the podcast that Harris will appear via Zoom.
“She’s on Zoom,” Dolan said during the podcast. Adding: “I already have it…I haven’t seen it. It’s embargoed.”
Morning Glory: Why is Kamala Harris missing Al Smith’s dinner in New York City?
The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner began in 1946, raising millions of dollars for charities supporting women and children, and has since grown to become a political and cultural feature of the election season. The dinner was named after Al Smith, the 42nd governor of New York and the first Catholic presidential candidate to run for president on the Democratic ticket in 1928.
This year’s dinner will be hosted by comedian Jim Gaffigan, who played Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, in a skit on “Saturday Night Live” this fall.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan speaks during a prayer for Ukraine at the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Volodymyr. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital did not receive a response from the Harris campaign for comment or confirmation whether Harris will attend the event virtually.
His campaign previously told Fox News that the vice president would not physically attend the event and would instead focus on campaigning in the battleground state of Wisconsin.
Trump campaign previews Al Smith’s impressions of dinner in Harris’ absence: ‘You won’t be disappointed’
“The vice president will be campaigning in battleground states that day, and the campaign wants to make the most of the vice president’s time in the battleground states as the election draws near. The vice president’s team also told organizers: , the vice president has expressed her interest in attending the event, making her the first sitting president to do so,” the campaign said.
The campaign previously told Fox News that the vice president had no intention of physically attending the event. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Trump attended the dinner in person in 2016, like then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and in 2020 he attended a virtual dinner due to the pandemic.
Former President Trump reacts during the Univision Noticias town hall event on October 16, 2024 in Doral, Florida. (Joe Radle/Getty Images)
Clinton and Trump trade jabs at Al Smith dinner
“I am honored to be attending the SOLD OUT 79th Annual Al Smith Dinner in New York on October 17th. It will be great to meet so many wonderful people, including Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan. “We know the spirit of Al Smith, the first Catholic candidate of a major political party and the first Catholic president, John F. Kennedy, who will be with us that night.” posted on Truth Social last month.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan sits between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump at the annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria on October 20, 2016 in New York City. (Spencer Pratt/Getty Images)
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“Even though it was a virtual event in 2020, it was great to talk to my Catholic friends that day, and of course it was a hugely successful night when I went to meet crooked Hillary Clinton in person in 2016. Review of my statement I don’t know how Kamala feels towards our Catholic friends, but she certainly wasn’t very nice towards them, so that’s very sad In fact, Catholics are literally being persecuted by this administration. Catholics who vote for Comrade Kamala Harris should have their heads searched.”
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