Kamala Harris has chosen not to attend the annual Al Smith Dinner, which significantly deviates from political tradition. The dinner, sponsored by the Archdiocese of New York, typically features lighthearted exchanges between presidential candidates. Former President Donald Trump has confirmed his attendance at the event scheduled for October 17, but Harris’s campaign stated she will focus on crucial battleground states as the election nears.
Some speculate that Harris’s move is due to the candidate’s fear of extemporaneous interactions, though the reality may be more that her campaign is worried that spending any time at all outside of critical swing states could see her lose on November 5th.
Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York, expressed disappointment over Harris’s decision.
“We are disappointed that she will not be with us, as this is an evening of unity and putting aside political differences in support of a good cause of helping women and children in need regardless of race, creed, or background,” he said. The politically connected and powerful Timothy Cardinal Dolan—who serves as the Archbishop of the diocese—currently hosts the dinner.
Harris’s decision makes her the first presidential candidate to skip the event since Walter Mondale, who also started his campaign as a vice president, in 1984. This tradition began in 1960 with Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy and is held to raise funds for New York City’s needy.
Trump last appeared at the dinner in person in 2016 along with then-Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton. The 2020 dinner, held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saw Trump and Joe Biden make pre-recorded remarks. The annual event is named after former New York Governor Alfred E. Smith, the first Roman Catholic nominated for the U.S. presidency by a major party in 1928.
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