Vice President Kamala Harris has decided not to attend the upcoming Al Smith charity dinner in New York City next month. Instead, her campaign has informed organizers that she will be focusing on campaigning in a battleground state on October 17, which is less than three weeks before the election.
The Al Smith charity dinner is a historic Catholic fundraiser that typically includes light-hearted roasts by the two major-party nominees during presidential election years. This year's event, which is already sold out, is expected to host around 1,500 guests in a ballroom in Midtown Manhattan.
In 2016, then-candidate Donald Trump surprised attendees by forgoing the usual friendly banter and launching personal attacks on Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton during the dinner. Clinton, on the other hand, delivered the anticipated self-deprecating humor in her remarks. The event, known for its formal attire with attendees in black-tie and headliners in white-tie, is named after Al Smith, the first major-party Catholic presidential nominee who served as the Democratic candidate in 1928.
While neither Harris nor Trump had officially confirmed their attendance for this year's dinner, both were expected to be present, as noted by comedian and emcee Jim Gaffigan.
