Cardinal Timothy Dolan criticized Kamala Harris’ surprise decision not to attend Al Smith’s annual dinner, while sending a warning about the latest candidate who didn’t attend.
The Catholic Charities benefit dinner has traditionally been used to promote collegiality and good humor, with presidential candidates from both parties appearing on the same night and trading barbs.
Donald Trump attended the dinner in both 2016 and 2020, while Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden (albeit online) also attended when they were running for president.
Dolan, the archbishop of New York City, said he was “disappointed” by Harris’ decision to campaign in a battleground state less than three weeks before Election Day.
“We were looking forward to giving the vice president a rousing welcome and we were confident that she would find this… you know, she talks a lot about high ideals and how good it is to move away from division and come together in unity and all that,” he said.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan criticized Kamala Harris’ surprise decision not to attend Al Smith’s annual dinner, while sending a warning about the latest candidate who didn’t attend.
Dolan, the archbishop of New York City, said he was “disappointed” by Harris’ decision to campaign in a battleground state less than three weeks before Election Day.
He then made a disturbing historical observation about Harris, who became the first presidential candidate to skip dinner since Walter Mondale did so in 1984.
“And remember, he lost 49 out of 50 states. I don’t want to say there’s a direct connection there, but… we’re not giving up,” Dolan continued.
Dolan, who plays a prominent role at the dinner, has been highly critical of Democrats and in 2018 wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal headlined “Democrats Abandon Catholics.”
Harris’ team wants her to spend as much time as possible in the disputed states that will decide the election, not heavily Democratic New York, a campaign official said Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss campaign plans and confirming a decision first reported by CNN.
Her team told organizers she would be willing to serve as president if elected, the official said.
The former president and current Republican presidential candidate confirmed in a Truth Social post on Monday that he would speak at the Oct. 17 dinner, calling it “sad, but not surprising” that Harris had chosen not to attend.
In his post on Truth Social, Trump said Harris “certainly hasn’t been very nice” to Catholics and claimed that Catholic voters who support her “should get their heads examined.”
His appearance at the dinner in 2016 drew boos as many in the audience felt he crossed a line when he called Democrat Hillary Clinton corrupt and claimed she hated Catholics.
Trump’s appearance at the dinner in 2016 drew boos as many in the audience felt he crossed a line when he called Democrat Hillary Clinton corrupt and claimed she hated Catholics.
Dolan, who plays a prominent role at the dinner, has been highly critical of Democrats and wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal in 2018 that carried the headline: “Democrats Abandon Catholics.”
The Alfred E. Smith Foundation Memorial Dinner is named for the former governor of New York, a Democrat and the first Roman Catholic to be nominated for president by a major party in 1928. He was handily defeated by Herbert Hoover.
It raises millions of dollars for Catholic charities and has traditionally shown that those vying to lead the nation can get along — or pretend to — for one night.
The event has become a tradition for presidential candidates since Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy appeared together in 1960.
In 1996, the Archdiocese of New York decided not to invite then-President Bill Clinton and his Republican rival, Bob Dole, allegedly because Clinton vetoed a ban on late-term abortions.
Triumph and Joe Bidenwho is Catholic, spoke at the fundraiser in 2020, when it moved online due to concerns about large gatherings spreading COVID-19.
Amid the pandemic and economic woes, there were no jokes and both candidates used their speeches to appeal to Catholic voters.
In 2016, both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump embraced the jovial atmosphere of New York’s annual white-tie fundraiser, even if some of their jokes fell flat.
The pair earned laughs, some reluctant and some more enthusiastic, with their punning scripts.
Walter Mondale was the last major candidate to skip dinner before losing to Ronald Reagan in 1984.
A Harris campaign official said Catholics for Harris-Walz is working to register people to vote and engage in outreach activities across the country.
Trump’s post is partly due to Questions of 2018 that then-Senator Harris raised with a federal judicial nominee about his membership in the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic lay fraternal organization.
Harris asked the candidate if he agreed with the group’s leader’s anti-abortion views, views that broadly align with the church’s stance.
