Vice President Kamala Harris will not attend a New York charity dinner that traditionally hosts Presidential candidates. Harris will skip the Al Smith dinner in October, opting to campaign in battleground states instead. She is the first candidate to decline an invitation to the Catholic event since Walter Mondale in 1984. Donald Trump has confirmed his attendance at the event, which has hosted Presidential contenders in New York since 1960.
Conservative critics accused Harris of ducking out to avoid one of the dinner’s traditions—a mutual roasting by candidates. A spokesperson for the 79th iteration of the Archdiocese of New York said they were disappointed because “this is an evening of unity and putting aside political differences in support of a good cause.” The Harris campaign told reporters that she would be happy to attend as President another time.
Donald Trump’s record at the event is controversial, and in 2016, he was booed for attacking Hillary Clinton as corrupt, prompting some people to declare that he had gone too far. “Hillary is so corrupt, she got kicked off the Watergate commission,” he said, and was met with loud boos. Trump continued to upset his audience when he accused his Democratic rival of “hating Catholics.” Commentators later said the roasting is intended to be light-hearted, and Mr. Trump had created an uncomfortable atmosphere.
The Harris campaign confirmed she will miss the dinner but issued an invite to Donald Trump to meet her on the debate stage instead. Harris challenged Trump to another debate on October 23, saying, “He should have no problem agreeing to this.” At a rally in North Carolina, however, the former President made it clear he has little interest in debating again. “It’s just too late; voting has already started,” he said.
The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner is a white-tie event that raises funds for Catholic charities caring for disadvantaged children in New York. It is hosted by the Archbishop of New York and held in honor of Al Smith, the first Catholic ever nominated for President by a major party. Smith was the Democrat nominee in 1928 after serving four terms as Governor of New York.
