American election 2024: what is this Al Smith Catholic gala shunned by Kamala Harris?

On September 21, Kamala Harris’ campaign team announced that she would not attend the Alfred E. Smith charity gala, organized in New York by the Catholic Church, on Thursday October 17. A decision which sparked a strong reaction from the coordinator of the event, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York.

“She didn’t get good advice. (…) It is not a campaign event, but it offers good visibility, with a national audience and that everyone covers, he lamented in his podcast. It’s a missed opportunity to show your human side and partner with a charitable cause. »

Tense relations between democrats and episcopate

This is the first time that a candidate has withdrawn since 1984, when Democrat Walter Mondale, then campaigning against Ronald Reagan, refused the invitation due to tensions between his party and Catholic leaders. Kamala Harris’ absence could be motivated for similar reasons, according to some analysts, particularly around the issue of abortion, at the heart of her campaign. As Cardinal Dolan recalls: “ This hasn’t happened in forty years, when Mondale declined the invitation. And remember, he lost 49 out of 50 states.”

The dinner is traditionally an opportunity for each presidential candidate to court the American Catholic vote. Before its opening, Donald Trump will give an interview to the Catholic television channel EWTN. A survey of National Catholic Reporter shows that he is ahead of Kamala Harris among the Catholic electorate in all « swing states ». For the newspaper, this gap could even prove “determinant” for the election. While President Jimmy Carter was booed by the audience in 1980, some analysts suggest that Kamala Harris, with this precedent in mind, preferred not to campaign in hostile terrain.

Founded in 1945, this dinner is intended to commemorate Al Smith, the first Catholic governor of New York and the first Catholic presidential candidate in 1928. Since the 1960 campaign, each candidate has given a humorous speech to the New York elite. Yorkist. Most of the time, it takes place at the end of the campaign, and it is considered a “truce”. The place costs $5,000 to enter and wearing a tuxedo is required. The money raised is donated to Catholic charities. This year, actor and comedian Jim Gaffigan is master of ceremonies.

A weakened tradition?

The absence of Kamala Harris could also be part of the aftermath of Pope Francis’ criticism of the two candidates. On September 14 he assured: “Both (candidates) are against life. Whether it’s the one who sends back migrants, or the one who kills children. »

For his part, Donald Trump reacted on his Truth Social platform: “It is sad, but not surprising, that Kamala Harris has decided not to attend. I don’t know what she has against our Catholic friends. » And in his characteristic style, he insists: “Any Catholic voting for Harris should have their head examined”

However, the relationship between Donald Trump and the Alfred E. Smith Foundation has not always been simple. During the 2016 campaign, the traditional cordiality between candidates was not present at the gala. He was booed by some members of the audience for having made remarks perceived as too aggressive towards his then opponent, Hillary Clinton. In 2020, the event had to be held online for health reasons, in the context of a pandemic.