Vice President Kamala Harris will send a pre-recorded video instead of attending the Al Smith charity dinner Thursday, breaking with decades of tradition, the Daily Caller News Foundation has learned.
Harris was slated to be the presidential candidate in decades to skip the event, which benefits Catholic charities that support children’s medical and financial needs. Now, Harris plans to “join” the Oct. 17 event by submitting a pre-recorded video.
“Vice President Harris will appear via a pre-recorded video at tonight’s dinner,” Joseph Zwilling, spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York, told the DCNF.
“Although we traditionally have had the privilege of hosting two presidential candidates, unfortunately Vice President Kamala Harris is still unable to join us this year due to conflicts with her campaign schedule,” Mary Erdoes, vice chair of the Al Smith Foundation’s board of directors, wrote in an email Friday which was obtained by the DCNF. “Please know that we exhausted every possible effort and connection we had to try to get her there, but to no avail. While we will miss her on the Dais, she will be joining us on screen, likely via video.”
Unlike Harris, former President Donald Trump confirmed on Sept. 21 that he would attend the 79th Al Smith dinner in person.
READ: Mark Halperin Says Harris’ ‘Weak Interview’ On Fox News Won’t Shift Election Dial
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, said on Sept. 24 that he was “disappointed” Harris would not be attending the event. The last presidential candidate to skip the event was President Ronald Reagan’s unsuccessful Democratic challenger Walter Mondale, who declined to attend in 1984.
The Harris and Trump campaigns did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect additional information from the Archdiocese of New York about Harris’ pre-recorded video for the Al Smith dinner.
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First published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.