Politics in America usually feels like a cage match. It's loud, it's mean, and nobody ever seems to take a breath. But for one night in October, the script is supposed to flip. We're talking about the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner—or just the "Al Smith" if you're in the know. It’s that weird, white-tie event in New York where the most powerful people in the country put on tails and pretend to like each other for the sake of Catholic charities.
The Trump Al Smith Dinner 2024 was different, though.
If you were expecting the usual "Happy Warrior" vibes where candidates trade lighthearted jabs, you haven't been paying attention to the last decade of American life. The 79th annual dinner, held on October 17, 2024, at the New York Hilton Midtown, felt less like a roast and more like a high-stakes campaign stop.
The Empty Chair at the Table
Usually, both major-party nominees show up. They sit just a few feet apart. They eat the same rubbery chicken and laugh at jokes about their own scandals. But Kamala Harris decided to skip the 2024 Al Smith Dinner.
She was the first nominee to bail on the in-person event since Walter Mondale back in 1984. Honestly, that's a long time. Her team said she needed to stay on the trail in battleground states. Fair enough, I guess, but it left a vacuum that Donald Trump was more than happy to fill.
Instead of being there, Harris sent a pre-recorded video. It featured Molly Shannon reprising her Saturday Night Live character, Mary Katherine Gallagher. You know, the awkward schoolgirl who sticks her hands under her armpits? It was... polarizing. Some people thought it was a clever way to participate without actually being in a room full of people who might boo her. Others called it "cringe" and "disrespectful."
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Trump didn't miss the chance to pounce. He told the crowd that Harris's absence was "deeply disrespectful" to the Catholic community. He even joked that if the organizers had told her the funds were going to bail out "looters and rioters in Minneapolis," she would have been there in a heartbeat.
Trump Unfiltered: The Roast That Went Dark
When Trump took the stage, he didn't exactly stick to the "gentle ribbing" tradition. If you remember his 2016 appearance, he got booed for calling Hillary Clinton corrupt while she was sitting right there. In 2024, he was slightly more restrained, but he still brought the heat.
He spent about 30 minutes at the podium. He riffed on everything from New York Mayor Eric Adams' legal troubles to his own legal battles. He even took a swing at the assassination attempts against him, saying, "I just don't see the point of taking shots at myself when other people have been shooting at me."
It was vintage Trump.
He looked out at the audience—full of New York’s elite, billionaires, and church leaders—and told them, "I know this isn't my normal crowd tonight. My normal crowd is younger and has more energy. But you have certain advantages too, like cash. Lots of cash."
Key Moments from the Speech
- The Melania Appearance: Melania Trump was there. This was a big deal because she hadn't been seen much on the campaign trail since the Republican National Convention in July. She sat right next to Cardinal Timothy Dolan, looking as stoic as ever.
- The RFK Jr. Shoutout: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was in the room too. Trump gave him a nod, mentioning how they’re going to let him "go wild" on health and food issues if they win.
- The "Weird" Defense: Trump addressed the "weird" label the Democrats had been trying to pin on him. He turned it back on the Harris-Walz ticket, calling their absence from the dinner "weird."
Why the Al Smith Dinner Still Matters
You might wonder why we still care about a $5,000-a-plate dinner in Manhattan.
The event is named after Al Smith, the former New York Governor and the first Catholic to be nominated for president by a major party (in 1928). He was known as the "Happy Warrior." The dinner was started in 1945 to raise money for children in the Archdiocese of New York.
Over the decades, it became a "ritual of American politics." It’s supposed to be the one night where partisanship stops. Where we remember that the person across the aisle is a human being.
But looking at the Trump Al Smith Dinner 2024, you have to wonder if that era is over. When one candidate doesn't show up and the other uses the platform to launch "pointed and at times bitter" attacks, the tradition feels a bit frayed.
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Cardinal Dolan tried to bring it back to center. He reminded everyone that Al Smith was never a "sore loser." It was a subtle nudge to both candidates about the upcoming election and the importance of grace.
The Catholic Vote Factor
There’s a reason Trump was so aggressive about Harris skipping the night. The Catholic vote is a massive, diverse swing block. In states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, it can literally decide the presidency.
By showing up in white tie and tails, Trump was signaling to those voters: I’m here. I respect your traditions. She doesn't. Whether that sticks is another story. Harris used her video to quote the Gospel of Luke, talking about faith guiding our feet in the path of peace. She was trying to reach the same voters, just through a screen.
Who Else Was There?
The guest list was a "who's who" of New York power players:
- Mike Johnson: The Speaker of the House.
- Letitia James: The New York Attorney General who actually sued Trump. They were in the same room. Talk about awkward.
- Chuck Schumer: The Senate Majority Leader, who sat just a couple seats away from Trump.
- Eric Adams: The Mayor of New York, who Trump jokingly "consoled" regarding his recent indictment.
What This Tells Us About 2024
The Trump Al Smith Dinner 2024 wasn't just a charity event; it was a microcosm of the entire election.
It showed a country deeply divided, where even a "truce" dinner feels like a battlefield. It showed a challenger who thrives on live audiences and a Vice President who is careful about the environments she enters.
But despite the tension, the night did its job. It raised millions of dollars for Catholic charities. It provided a few laughs (even if some were uncomfortable). And it gave us one of the last "shared" moments of the campaign, even if the sharing happened via a video feed.
Actionable Insights for Following the Aftermath
If you're trying to figure out how this night actually impacts the race, keep an eye on these three things:
- Polling in the "Rust Belt": Look at Catholic-heavy counties in Pennsylvania and Michigan. If Trump’s "disrespect" narrative about Harris skipping the dinner gains traction, you’ll see it in the margins there.
- The "Happy Warrior" Narrative: Watch if either candidate adopts a lighter, more humorous tone in the final stretch. Traditionally, the Al Smith Dinner is a pivot point toward "likability."
- Late-Night Reactions: Check how the late-night circuit and SNL handle the Molly Shannon cameo. The "cringe" factor of that video might actually be more influential with undecided voters than Trump’s entire 30-minute speech.
The Al Smith Dinner is a relic, sure. But in a world of 15-second TikTok ads, there's still something fascinating about watching the most powerful people in the world navigate a room full of priests, billionaires, and bad jokes.