(LifeSiteNews) — Donald Trump said it was “very disrespectful” that Vice President Kamala Harris didn’t show up to the Al Smith Memorial Dinner on Thursday evening in New York.
Trump, who lampooned not just Harris but Joe Biden during remarks that lasted approximately 30 minutes, joked that Harris was absent because she was “in Michigan receiving Communion from Gretchen Whitmer,” a reference to a bizarre video Whitmer made recently that many Catholics perceived as a mocking the Eucharist.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: “All polls are indicating I’m leading big with the Catholic vote, as I should be, but I don’t think Kamala has given up yet. Instead of attending tonight, she’s in Michigan receiving communion from Gretchen Whitmer.” pic.twitter.com/T8NAHcRnPm
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 18, 2024
The former president and Republican candidate said that the event’s organizers “should have told (Harris) the funds were going to bail out the looters and rioters in Minneapolis and she would’ve been here guaranteed,” which elicited much laughter.
Trump further said that he attended the event multiple times with his father, Fred, growing up. He said that the tradition of both candidates showing up at the dinner is important and that if you don’t attend, like Walter Mondale did in 1984, “bad things are going to happen to you from up there,” a reference to Mondale only winning one state.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: “My opponent feels like she does not have to be here, which is deeply disrespectful to the event and in particular to our great Catholic community — The last Democrat not to attend this important event was Walter Mondale and it did not go very well for him.” pic.twitter.com/7dwLQAeYyY
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 18, 2024
Trump additionally remarked that it was not easy to attend the dinner given his grueling schedule. He said the pre-recorded video message that Harris made was disrespectful to the dinner.
“Catholics, you got to vote for me. You better remember I’m here – and she’s not! I could’ve done that, too,” he exclaimed.
Harris’ brief video message included a humorless sketch that involved her and a former Saturday Night Live actress who was playing a socially awkward Catholic schoolgirl named “Mary Katherine Gallagher.” Harris gave platitudes about God and following the faith.
In the movie Superstar, Mary Katherine Gallagher is a Catholic school girl who’s consumed by off-putting habits and the thought of having her first kiss.
That’s who Kamala Harris cast in her address to Catholics at a charity event tonight. pic.twitter.com/OqN5Z5Kzjf
— Kyle Morris (@RealKyleMorris) October 18, 2024
Liberal comedian Jim Gaffigan, who identifies as a Catholic, was more critical of Harris than Trump. At times, he drew attention to how the Democratic Party replaced Biden with Harris by staging “a coup” that resulted in her going from “a mediocre vice president” to everyone’s favorite candidate. He also poked fun at her skipping the dinner to campaign on the explicit Call Me Daddy podcast.
Trump also said he believes it was God and his mercy that saved him in assassination attempts.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: “Having recently survived two assassination attempts, I have a fresh appreciation of how blessed we are by God’s Providence and his divine mercy — With God’s help, I know there is nothing that cannot be achieved. pic.twitter.com/8p8LaSNuP0
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 18, 2024
Trump concluded his remarks by saying he would bring peace to Ukraine and that Al Smith, the Catholic Democratic governor for whom the event was named, was a “happy warrior” and a “great man.”