A presidential election tradition dating back to 1960 is set to bring some laughs in New York City on Thursday night, but for the first time in 40 years, only one candidate will be on the dias.
Former President Donald Trump will attend the New York Archdiocese’s annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner at the New York Hilton along with his wife Melania. Vice President Kamala Harris announced last month that she could not attend due to a conflicting campaign event.
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and others listen as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks during the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner at Waldorf Astoria, Oct. 20, 2016, in New York.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
“She 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,” a campaign official told ABC News on Sept. 23.
The vice president attended several campaign events in Wisconsin Thursday, however, there were reports she could still make her mark at the New York gala.
Trump claimed in a Truth Social post Thursday evening that Harris was going to post a video message at the event and chastised her for the alleged move.
“They didn’t give me the option of a video message, nor would I have done it. This is very disrespectful to everyone involved,” he said adding that Harris should lose the Catholic vote over this.
The Harris campaign did not immediately return requests for comment to ABC News about possibly appearing at the dinner via video.
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during a campaign rally at the University of Wisconsin La Crosse, in La Crosse, Wis., Oct. 17, 2024.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Since 1960, the black-tie event has hosted both the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates and allowed them to “share self-deprecating humor” and raise money for the archdiocese’s charitable organizations.
It is named in honor of Alfred E. Smith, the former New York governor who was the first Catholic to be nominated to a major party’s presidential ticket.
The last time a presidential candidate could not attend the dinner was in 1984, when Democratic nominee Walter Mondale bowed out.
This year’s event will be hosted by comedian Jim Gaffigan, who currently plays Gov. Tim Walz on “Saturday Night Live.”
Prior to the gala, Trump visited a barbershop in the Bronx.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan sits between, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump at the annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria, Oct. 20, 2016, in New York.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Trump confirmed his attendance in a Truth Social post on Sept. 23, not long after Harris’ campaign announced she would not show up.
“It’s sad, but not surprising, that Kamala has decided not to attend,” he said in the post.
In the same post, Trump accused Harris of being anti-Catholic and repeated past claims, without evidence, that the administration was persecuting Catholics. President Joe Biden is the second Catholic president in American history and attends mass weekly.
Francis Cardinal Spellman (center) is flanked by the two Presidential candidates, Sen. John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon as they attended the Alfred E. Smith memorial dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Oct. 19, 1960.
Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
In the past, the presidential candidates have roasted each other and appeared to be in good spirits throughout the night. However, things were different in 2016, the last time both of the presidential candidates attended the event in person.
Trump was booed during his 2016 Al Smith dinner speech for repeatedly attacking Sec. of State Hilary Clinton.
During Clinton’s remarks, the Democratic nominee made some self-deprecating jokes about her stamina and paid speeches, before turning her attention to Trump, where she jabbed him on everything from his temperament to his ties to Russia.
Trump did not laugh or appear to be amused by his opponent’s jokes.
ABC News’ Soo Rin Kim, Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Will McDuffie contributed to this report.
Source: abc news
