Trump will attend Al Smith’s charity dinner, which Harris skips to campaign in the swing state

Donald Trump confirmed on Monday that he will be the only keynote speaker at this year’s Al Smith Charity Dinner in New York, which is usually a good-humored and bipartisan political event but which Vice President Kamala Harris said she is staying away from in favor of campaigning in swing states.

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 decided not to attend.

The gala, which benefits Catholic Charities, is traditionally used to promote collegiality, with presidential candidates from both parties appearing on the same night and exchanging barbs. But on Saturday, Harris’ campaign announced that the Democratic nominee would not attend the event, breaking with presidential tradition so she can campaign in a swing state less than three weeks before Election Day.

Harris’ team wants her to spend as much time as possible in the swing states that will decide the election, rather than in heavily Democratic New York, said a campaign official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss campaign plans, confirming a decision first reported by CNN. Her team told organizers she would be willing to attend as president if elected, the official said.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who plays a prominent role at the dinner, has been sharply critical of Democrats, writing a 2018 Wall Street Journal editorial headlined “Democrats Are Failing.” In his Truth Social post, Trump said Harris has “certainly not been very nice” to Catholics and that Catholic voters who support her should “get their heads examined.”

A Harris campaign official said Catholics for Harris-Walz is working to register people to vote and engage in outreach efforts nationwide. Trump’s post stems in part from questions then-Senator Harris asked a federal judge candidate in 2018 about his membership in the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic lay fraternal organization. Harris asked the candidate whether he shared the anti-abortion views of the group’s leader, views that are broadly consistent with the church’s stance.

The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner is named for the former governor of New York, a Democrat and the first Catholic to be nominated as a major party presidential candidate. He was soundly defeated by Herbert Hoover in 1928. The dinner raises millions of dollars for Catholic charities and traditionally shows that those vying for leadership of the nation can get along, or at least pretend to, for an evening.

This 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 challenger Bob Dole, reportedly because Clinton had vetoed a ban on late-term abortions.

Trump and Joe Biden, who is Catholic, both spoke at the 2020 fundraiser when it was moved online because of COVID-19. Amid the pandemic and economic woes, there was no joking, and both candidates instead used their speeches to appeal to Catholic voters.

Both Trump and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton attended in 2016. Trump was booed after calling Clinton corrupt and claiming she hated Catholics.

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Meg Kinnard reported from Chapin, South Carolina and can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP.