Trump to headline sold-out Al Smith charity dinner as Harris sends pre-recorded video message

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. 

HARRIS TO VIRTUALLY ATTEND CATHOLIC CHARITY DINNER THAT RIVAL TRUMP IS HEADLINING

“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.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment on sending a pre-recorded video message for the event, but did not receive a reply. The campaign previously told Fox News that Harris was skipping the event to focus on campaigning in the battleground state of Wisconsin on Thursday. 

KAMALA HARRIS PLANS TO SKIP HISTORIC AL SMITH DINNER DESPITE LONG-STANDING TRADITION

“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. 

The event this year, will instead focus on Trump’s in-person remarks, as well as Harris’ video – not the typical speaker schedule that spotlights the presidential candidates from both political parties while they lob lighthearted jabs at each other. 

TRUMP APPLAUDS CATHOLIC GROUP’S MULTI-MILLION ANTI-HARRIS CAMPAIGN APPEALING TO CHURCH FAITHFUL

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. 

Trump has attended the event each election year since 2016, when he and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton traded barbs that drew roaring laughter and some jeers from the crowd. 

“It’s great to be here with a thousand wonderful people, or, as I call it, a small intimate dinner with some friends. Or as Hillary calls it, her largest crowd of the season,” Trump quipped during his 2016 remarks. 

CARDINAL DOLAN ‘UPSET’ THAT HARRIS SKIPPING AL SMITH DINNER 

“People look at the Statue of Liberty and they see a proud symbol of our history as a nation of immigrants. A beacon of hope for people around the world. Donald sees the Statue of Liberty and sees a 4. Maybe a 5 if she loses the torch and tablet and changes her hair,” Clinton joked amid her remarks. 

Comedian Jim Gaffigan will emcee this year’s dinner. Gaffigan has notably joined “Saturday Night Live” in recent weeks to play the role of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, during sketches mocking the election cycle. 

Trump has celebrated his third return to the dinner as the GOP’s presidential nominee, while also taking a shot at Harris for skipping attending the event. 

MORNING GLORY: WHY IS KAMALA HARRIS SKIPPING THE AL SMITH DINNER IN NEW YORK CITY?

“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. 

“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. 

The 2020 Al Smith dinner was held virtually as the pandemic and its government-mandated lockdowns upended society. Both Trump and President Biden virtually attended that year’s dinner. 

Dolan said he anticipates the dinner to raise roughly $9 million, which will be given to various charities to assist women and children in need, as part of the Church’s pro-life mission, according to a press release from the foundation. 

This year’s event will be held at New York Hilton Midtown, and kicks off at 7 pm. 

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