Current:Home > MyTrump will attend Al Smith charity dinner that Harris is skipping to campaign in battleground state -ForexStream
Trump will attend Al Smith charity dinner that Harris is skipping to campaign in battleground state
View
Date:2025-04-13 06:29:39
Donald Trump confirmed Monday that he would be the sole featured speaker at this year’s Al Smith charity dinner in New York, typically a good-humored and bipartisan political event that Vice President Kamala Harris said she is skipping in favor of battleground state campaigning.
The former president and current Republican presidential nominee 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 had opted not to attend.
The gala benefiting Catholic Charities traditionally has been used to promote collegiality, with presidential candidates from both parties appearing on the same night and trading barbs. But on Saturday, Harris’ campaign said the Democratic nominee would not go to the event, breaking with presidential tradition so she could campaign instead in a battleground state less than three weeks before Election Day.
Harris’ team wants her to spend as much time as possible in the battleground states that will decide the election rather than in heavily Democratic New York, a campaign official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss campaign plans and confirming a decision first reported by CNN. Her team told organizers that she would be willing to attend as president if she’s elected, the official said.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who plays a prominent role in the dinner, has been highly critical of Democrats, writing a 2018 Wall Street Journal op-ed that carried the headline, “The Democrats Abandon Catholics.” In his Truth Social post, Trump said Harris “certainly hasn’t been very nice” to Catholics, saying that Catholic voters who support her “should have their head examined.”
A Harris campaign official said Catholics for Harris-Walz is working to register people to vote and get involved in outreach across the country. Trump’s post stems in part from 2018 questions that then-Sen. Harris posed to a federal judicial nominee about his membership in the Knights of Columbus, a lay Catholic fraternal organization. Harris asked the nominee if he agreed with the anti-abortion views of the group’s leader, views that broadly align with the church’s stance.
The Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner is named for the former New York governor, a Democrat and the first Roman Catholic to be nominated for president by a major party. He was handily defeated by Herbert Hoover in 1928. The dinner raises millions of dollars for Catholic charities and has traditionally shown that those vying to lead the nation can get along, or pretend to, for one night.
It’s become a tradition for presidential candidates ever 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 vetoed a late-term abortion ban.
Trump and Joe Biden, who is Catholic, both spoke at the fundraiser in 2020 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 nominee Hillary Clinton attended in 2016. Trump was booed after calling Clinton corrupt and claiming she hated Catholics.
___
Meg Kinnard reported from Chapin, South Carolina, and can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP
veryGood! (46291)
Related
- Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
- Lewis Capaldi Taking Break From Touring Amid Journey With Tourette Syndrome
- Am I crossing picket lines if I see a movie? and other Hollywood strike questions
- 5 ways the fallout from the banking turmoil might affect you
- Why Sean "Diddy" Combs Is Being Given a Laptop in Jail Amid Witness Intimidation Fears
- John Fetterman’s Evolution on Climate Change, Fracking and the Environment
- Penalty pain: Players converted just 4 of the first 8 penalty kicks at the Women’s World Cup
- Over 60,000 Amazon Shoppers Love This Easy-Breezy Summer Dress That's on Sale for $25
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- The number of Black video game developers is small, but strong
Ranking
- Highlights from Trump’s interview with Time magazine
- Influencer says Miranda Lambert embarrassed her by calling her out — but she just wanted to enjoy the show
- Get $112 Worth of Tarte Cosmetics Iconic Shape Tape Products for Just $20
- Total Accused of Campaign to Play Down Climate Risk From Fossil Fuels
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Raging Flood Waters Driven by Climate Change Threaten the Trans-Alaska Pipeline
- Recent Megafire Smoke Columns Have Reached the Stratosphere, Threatening Earth’s Ozone Shield
- Biden’s Infrastructure Bill Includes Money for Recycling, But the Debate Over Plastics Rages On
Recommendation
Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
One winning ticket sold for $1.08 billion Powerball jackpot - in Los Angeles
Shipping Looks to Hydrogen as It Seeks to Ditch Bunker Fuel
Police arrest 85-year-old suspect in 1986 Texas murder after he crossed border to celebrate birthday
The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
The Hollywood x Sugarfina Limited-Edition Candy Collection Will Inspire You To Take a Bite Out of Summer
Inside Clean Energy: Indian Point Nuclear Plant Reaches a Contentious End
Inside Clean Energy: Indian Point Nuclear Plant Reaches a Contentious End