As we reported, Kamala Harris blew off the Al Smith dinner, a tradition since 1946 for anyone running for president. As President Donald Trump joked, the last time a Democrat skipped it, it didn’t go well for him. He was speaking about Walter Mondale, who lost to Ronald Reagan in a 49-state landslide–except for Mondale’s own state of Minnesota.
But Kamala sent in a video that many found completely missed the point of the event, which is supposed to be about coming together at the same table, and joking about yourself and your opponent. It isn’t supposed to be about campaigning, and she couldn’t even be bothered to joke about herself. It was a miss on every level, including using Molly Shannon to take up most of the time, with an old SNL character that many people might not even understand.
🧵 Kamala’s War on Catholics? Let’s start with her breaking a decades-long tradition: skipping the Al Smith dinner and sending a cringe-inducing pre-recorded video. Because nothing says “respect” like phoning it in. I had to watch it, so you do too: pic.twitter.com/WlCmWghM6w
— Ashley Hayek (@ashleyhayek) October 18, 2024
Cringeworthy. And many people found it offensive.
It just wasn’t funny. It isn’t about filibustering by telling the Al Smith dinner what the Al Smith dinner is supposed to be about so you could fill up the words in the video as you read off a teleprompter.
Harris even had the audacity to have a picture of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney on the wall, from the dinner in 2012 with Cardinal Timothy Dolan in between them. laughing at the dinner. She missed out completely on that possibility.
Trump did attend the dinner and was cheered. She was booed, and comedian Jim Gaffigan smoked her for not showing up in some funny bits. She even released a nasty statement attacking Trump for what he said, at the dinner that she couldn’t be bothered to attend.
READ MORE: Hell Freezes Over: Even Brian Stelter Praises Trump’s Jokes, As Harris Gets Booed at Al Smith Dinner
What Kamala Was Doing Instead of the Al Smith Dinner Tells Us Everything
Comedian Jim Gaffigan Kills It at Charity Dinner, Smokes Kamala for Being MIA
But I wanted to show you the reaction the people had to the video, because it’s funny how badly it went over.
They did not like it at all. Sen. Chuck Schumer’s head was in his hands. According to Fox’s Brian Llenas, Dolan said Schumer tried to convince Harris of the importance of showing up, but he failed. It’s funny how sullen-faced and turned off all these folks are.
Senator Schumer and Cardinal Dolan watching Harris video sitting next to Trump and Melania. Dolan said he was upset Harris chose not to come in person to the Al Smith charity dinner. He said Schumer worked to try to convince Harris to attend. pic.twitter.com/5RVFeJA3WQ
— Bryan Llenas (@BryanLlenas) October 18, 2024
Then there’s the shot that Gaffigan delivered on it over the crowd’s dismal reaction to it, “I don’t even know what that noise that you’re making is, ahhhhh,” he said.
Then he gave her a shot about how lame what she did was.
Comedian Jim Gaffigan sums up the general feeling in the room after VP Harris pre-recorded video played at the Al Smith dinner. 😬 pic.twitter.com/2jJGAIHVkW
— Bryan Llenas (@BryanLlenas) October 18, 2024
When Cardinal Dolan wrapped up and delivered the final prayer for the event, he also thanked a lot of people, including the folks who were there and donated, along with the people who organized the event; he thanked Gaffigan, as well as Trump and his wife, Melania. But it was very noticeable who he did not thank or even mention.
Cardinal Dolan did not thank or mention VP Harris during his closing prayer. He also said President Trump not Former President. 👀 pic.twitter.com/pmWI4azHY3
— Catholics for Catholics 🇺🇲 (@CforCatholics) October 19, 2024
That made sense since she didn’t even show up, but it was telling.
Why wouldn’t you do it to reach out to people, rather than just doing another event in Wisconsin, saying the same ridiculous things to the invited audience that is already going to vote for you? I have a guess; she didn’t want to antagonize her anti-abortion leftist base. But that’s a ridiculous reason for not going and given the criticism she’s gotten for it and the votes she may have lost, one has to think that whoever told her to do this is getting screamed at by Kamala after all the backlash.
