Harris to virtually attend Catholic charity dinner that rival Trump is headlining
Democrat Walter Mondale was the last presidential candidate to skip the Al Smith dinner in 1984
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Vice President Kamala Harris will virtually attend the historic Al Smith dinner on Thursday evening, the Archdiocese of New York confirmed to Fox News Digital.
"VP Harris will appear via a pre-recorded message," the communications director for the Archdiocese of New York, Joseph Zwilling, told Fox News Digital on Thursday.
Harris will be the first presidential candidate in 40 years to not physically attend the Catholic charity event – since 1984 when failed presidential Democratic candidate Walter Mondale skipped. Former President Trump will attend and address the sold-out audience during the event Thursday.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Harris' snub of the historic Catholic charity event irked New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan on his podcast this week.
KAMALA HARRIS PLANS TO SKIP HISTORIC AL SMITH DINNER DESPITE LONG-STANDING TRADITION
Vice President Kamala Harris addresses the Economic Club of Pittsburgh on the Carnegie Mellon University campus in Pittsburgh, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
"This year will be imbalanced because, sadly, Kamala Harris isn't coming," Dolan said on his podcast Wednesday. "It's a shame because the nature of the evening is to bring people together. The nature of the evening is civility, patriotism, humor. It's not a campaign speech. It's not a campaign stop."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He did add during the podcast that Harris was slated to appear via "Zoom."
"She's sending a Zoom," Dolan said during the podcast. Adding: "We have it already… I haven't looked at it. There's an embargo on it."
MORNING GLORY: WHY IS KAMALA HARRIS SKIPPING THE AL SMITH DINNER IN NEW YORK CITY?
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner was launched in 1946, and has raised millions of dollars for charities supporting women and children, and has since grown to become a political and cultural hallmark of election seasons. The dinner is named after the first Catholic presidential candidate, Al Smith, who served as the 42nd governor of New York and ran for president as a Democrat in 1928.
This year's dinner will be emceed by comedian Jim Gaffigan, who has portrayed Harris' running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz in sketches on "Saturday Night Live" this fall.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan speaks during a prayer service for Ukraine at Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of St. Volodymyr. (Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment and confirmation that Harris will virtually attend the event, but did not receive a reply.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The campaign previously told Fox News that the vice president would not physically attend the event, focusing her time on campaigning in the battleground state of Wisconsin instead.
TRUMP CAMPAIGN PREVIEWS AL SMITH DINNER REMARKS AMID HARRIS’ ABSENCE: ‘WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED’
"The Vice President is going to be campaigning in a battleground state that day, and the campaign wants to maximize her time in the battlegrounds this close to the election. Her team also told the organizers that she would very much like to attend their event as President. This would make her one of the first sitting Presidents to attend," the campaign said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The campaign previously told Fox News that the vice president would not physically attend the event. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Trump attended the dinner in-person in 2016, as did then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and attended 2020's virtual dinner due to the pandemic.
Former President Trump reacts during a Univision Noticias town hall event on Oct. 16, 2024, in Doral, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
CLINTON AND TRUMP TRADE JABS AT AL SMITH DINNER
"It will be an honor to attend the SOLD OUT 79th ANNUAL AL SMITH DINNER on October 17th in New York. It will be great to see so many wonderful people there, including Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan. We know the Spirit of Al Smith, the first Catholic Nominee of a Major Party, and John F. Kennedy, the FIRST Catholic President, will be in the room with us that night," Trump posted on Truth Social last month.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Cardinal Timothy Dolan sits between, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump during the annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria on Oct. 20, 2016, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
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"It was a virtual event in 2020, and I was delighted to speak to our Catholic friends that day and, of course, it was a HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL evening in 2016 when we were there in person with Crooked Hillary Clinton. The reviews of my remarks were TREMENDOUS. It’s sad, but not surprising, that Kamala has decided not to attend. I don’t know what she has against our Catholic friends, but it must be a lot, because she certainly hasn’t been very nice to them, in fact, Catholics are literally being persecuted by this Administration. Any Catholic that votes for Comrade Kamala Harris should have their head examined," he added.