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Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York said he’s “disappointed” that Vice President Kamala Harris won’t be attending the annual Al Smith charity dinner, a tradition for presidential candidates, although he revealed that she may make a remote appearance.
In his “The Good Newsroom” podcast, Cardinal Dolan told comedian Jim Gaffigan over a lunch of burgers and fries that Ms. Harris is “sending one of those Zooms or something.”
“Obviously still disappointed because the vice president isn’t coming,” said the cardinal during the podcast ahead of the Thursday night dinner.
Mr. Gaffigan, the evening’s master of ceremonies, replied in mock surprise: “She’s not coming?”
Ms. Harris is expected to be the first presidential candidate in 40 years to miss the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner in New York City, a highlight of the presidential campaign season.
Former President Donald Trump plans to attend, as he did in 2016. He and President Biden appeared remotely at the 2020 dinner, which was held virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cardinal Dolan said Thursday he wasn’t supposed to disclose that Ms. Harris plans to check in via video.
“I blew it yesterday on my show in announcing that she’s sending one of those Zooms or something,” he said. “I wasn’t supposed to say that, but now apparently it’s out. So at least we’ve got that.”
They spoke about the history of the Al Smith Dinner, how the funds help those in need, and Vice President Kamala Harris’ decision to decline the invitation to attend.
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The white-tie event hosted by the Archdiocese of New York, which Cqardinal Dolan leads, offers an opportunity for politicians to take a break from the campaign trail and spread bonhomie by poking good-natured fun at each other.
“I really thought, Jim, and I tried to press this with her people, this is literally right up her alley,” the cardinal said. “Here you’ve got somebody talking about, can’t we bring amity and unity back? Well, that’s what the Al Smith dinner is all about.”
He stressed that the light-hearted event is “not a campaign speech, it’s not a stump speech. Now some candidates might use it for that, but that’s not the nature or the purpose of the evening.”
The last candidate to decline the invitation was Mr. Mondale in 1984, who went on to lose in a landslide to President Ronald Reagan.
“I use the line that the Al Smith dinner is not red or blue, it’s red, white and blue,” Cardinal Dolan said. “It’s all about patriotism, it’s all about the country.”
The sold-out event at the New York Hilton Midtown, which can be viewed on livestream, is expected to raise $9 million for the charitable foundation.
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