Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, said state Democrats such as Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) are “working hard” to convince Vice President Kamala Harris to attend the annual Al Smith dinner in New York City.
Harris declined the invitation to a charity event known for hosting presidential candidates in election years. 2016 presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton both attended in person that year, exchanging comedic jabs.
Trump has already said he will attend the Oct. 17 dinner, while Harris will be campaigning in battleground states.
“We’re disappointed,” Dolan said Monday. “We were looking forward to giving the vice president an enthusiastic welcome. … You know, she speaks very much about the high ideals and how it’s good to get away from division and come together in unity and all, well that’s what the Al Smith dinner is all about.
“We’re not used to this,” Dolan remarked before noting that a major presidential candidate has not declined an invitation to the dinner since 1984. Democrat Walter Mondale skipped the dinner that year and lost by a landslide to former President Ronald Reagan.
“We’re not giving up,” Dolan said. “Sen. Schumer and Gov. Hochul, they both are working hard to see that they convince [Harris] to come.”
The Washington Examiner contacted Schumer’s and Hochul’s offices but did not receive a response.
Trump mocked Harris for not accepting the invitation to the event in a post on Truth Social.
“It’s sad, but not surprising, that Kamala has decided not to attend,” Trump said Monday. “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.”
Brian Browne, the associate vice president of university communications and public affairs at St. John’s University, told CruxNow that her decision to not attend the dinner was “puzzling.”
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“Given she’s the Democratic candidate, she would have access to the best joke writers on the East Coast and the West Coast who would love the opportunity to write a script,” Browne said. “It’s a very scripted event. I know she seems to be very dependent on a teleprompter, but it’s a teleprompter event. Yes, you might get some groans if your jokes don’t land, but you’re not going to get booed off the stage or heckled. It’s always this kind of coming together type of moment.
“It’s a missed opportunity to demonstrate a human side and come together for a charitable cause, and you know, if I was advising her, I would tell her to reconsider this,” he added.
