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From Fox News: Former President Trump is set to attend and address the 79th Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner on Thursday evening for the bipartisan political event that typically adds a bit of levity to the campaign trail each presidential election cycle, while simultaneously raising donations for women and children in need.
This year’s Al Smith dinner, however, is set to be a bit different from previous years, as Vice President Kamala Harris is skipping the in-person event and sending a pre-recorded video to be broadcast to the audience instead.
“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’ snub of the historic Catholic charity event irked New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, the host of the dinner, on his podcast this week.
Typically, the event spotlights the presidential candidates from both political parties while they lob lighthearted jabs at each other, the report explains. Trump has attended the event every year since his first appearance in 2016, when he and Hillary Clinton traded barbs.
Harris is reportedly skipping the event to campaign in the battleground state of Wisconsin on Thursday. Her campaign touted that she would like to attend their event when she becomes president.
Fox explains the history behind the Catholic charity event:
The Al Smith dinner was launched in 1946, and has raised millions of dollars for charities supporting women and children. It 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. He ran for president as a Democrat in 1928.
In a post on Truth Social last month, Trump wrote:
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.
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….
Thursday afternoon, Trump blasted Harris for skipping the event. He wrote:
Just found out that Lyin’ Kamala is doing a video message tonight instead of being at the Al Smith Dinner. She shouldn’t be allowed to do a video message. Kamala should be there like almost every other Presidential Candidate in their History, except Walter Mondale, who lost 49-1. They didn’t give me the option of a video message, nor would I have done it. This is very disrespectful to everyone involved. She should be here, or lose the Catholic Vote!
Steve Cortes shared a video from the 2016 dinner and wrote: “Ahead of tonight’s Al Smith Dinner, watch President Trump’s amazing and hysterical 2016 speech roasting Hillary Clinton. Kamala was terrified of being mocked like this and exposed for her anti-Catholic bigotry, which is why she’s refusing to appear in person at tonight’s Catholic charity dinner.”
Ahead of tonight’s Al Smith Dinner, watch President Trump’s amazing and hysterical 2016 speech roasting Hillary Clinton.
Kamala was terrified of being mocked like this and exposed for her anti-Catholic bigotry, which is why she’s refusing to appear in person at tonight’s… pic.twitter.com/eOeh5TTkiC
— Steve Cortes (@CortesSteve) October 17, 2024
Trump to headline sold-out Al Smith charity dinner as Harris sends pre-recorded video message https://t.co/bmBMKR0h4L
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 17, 2024
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