Donald Trump announces he will attend the Al Smith dinner and uses the opportunity to criticize Kamala Harris and Catholics.
NEW YORK — Traditionally, presidential candidates meet at the annual Al Smith Dinner in New York City. It’s an evening designed to raise money for Catholic charities and show that the contenders can get along, or at least pretend to, on the night. But candidate Kamala Harris recently announced she would not be able to attend the dinner. Now former President Donald Trump has weighed in on the evening and Harris’s absence on his social media platform Truth Social in advance — and insulted Catholics who vote Democratically.
Trump begins by writing that he would be honored to attend the 79th Al Smith Dinner in October. The event is named for Alfred E. Smith, who was governor of New York in the 1920s and the first Catholic to be nominated as a presidential candidate by a major party. According to the website, the dinner Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation It has been held once a year since 1946. Since 1960, presidential candidates have also participated.
Caught in the Crossfire: Trump Insults Catholics Who Vote Democratic
The previous US election in 2020 was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. Trump wrote: “I had the pleasure of speaking with our Catholic friends that day, and of course the evening in 2016 was a huge success when we were there with Crooked Hillary Clinton herself.”
He goes on to say it is “sad but not surprising” that Harris will not be attending the dinner. The Democratic campaign announced she was skipping the event to campaign instead in a swing state, according to reports. cbs newsOn the other hand, Trump sees this as a sign of Harris’ hatred of Catholics. He writes that he doesn’t know what she has against “our Catholic friends.” She hasn’t been particularly kind to them. “In fact,” he continues, “Catholics are being persecuted by this government.”
Trump has previously made derogatory statements about Jews.
And in the next breath he also takes aim at Catholics. “Every Catholic who votes for Kamala Harris should have their head examined.” Earlier, the former president made similar comments about Jewish voters who vote for the Democratic Party, blaming them for not winning the election in November.
This isn’t the first time Trump has targeted Christian Americans. In July, he caused a stir with a speech at a conservative Christian event when he urged Christians to vote “just this once,” after which they wouldn’t have to vote. Concerns were raised on social media about what he might have meant. There was concern that he was insinuating authoritarianism. Newsweek He writes.
The former president is still very popular among Christians, according to a poll conducted by a non-governmental polling institute. Pew Research Center About 61 percent of white Catholics surveyed said they would vote for Trump. Registered voters were surveyed between Aug. 26 and Sept. 2, 2024. (majority)
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