Vice President Harris will not attend the annual Al Smith dinner in New York City next month, citing a campaign event in a battleground state. Her team told event organizers that she would like to attend the event as president, if elected.
Former President Trump announced on Truth Social that he will attend the Al Smith dinner, calling it "an honor" to do so. He also mentioned his previous attendance at the dinner in 2016 and 2020.
Trump criticized Vice President Harris for not attending the dinner, saying it's "sad, but not surprising". He also made claims that Harris has been "persecuting" Catholics and that any Catholic who votes for her should "have their head examined".
Harris's team explained that she will be campaigning in a battleground state on the day of the dinner and is unable to attend. They also stated that she wants to maximize her time in the battlegrounds this close to the election.
The Al Smith dinner is a traditional event that includes presidential candidates and is hosted by New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan. It is the 79th annual dinner of the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation.
Trump attended the Al Smith dinner in 2016, along with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, and virtually in 2020 with President Biden. He mentioned his previous attendance in his statement on Truth Social.
The Harris campaign held a "Catholics for Harris-Walz" national organizing call last week, which included former Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.). The call was an effort to reach out to Catholic voters and build support for Harris's campaign.
President Biden is the second Catholic president in U.S. history, following President Kennedy. This fact was mentioned in the context of Trump's criticism of Harris's treatment of Catholics.