Kamala Harris has decided not to attend a star-studded charity dinner in New York City which has historically hosted both major-party presidential candidates in the final run-up ton the election.

As first reported by CNN Saturday, Harris will skip the Al Smith dinner on Oct. 17, opting instead to campaign in a battleground state. With a few notable exceptions, the Catholic fundraiser has hosted every major-party presidential candidate since 1960. In 1996 and 2004, the Archdiocese of New York did not invite either candidate over disputes of with the Democratic nominees — Bill Clinton and John Kerry — over abortion. And in 2020, the event was held virtually during the Covid-19 pandemic. (Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden did both contribute with pre-taped messages.) But Harris is the first candidate to decline an invitation to the dinner since Walter Mondale in 1984.

According to the New York Post, Trump has confirmed to the Archdiocese that he will attend.

The Al Smith dinner has been a high-profile stop on the campaign trail — as it usually marks the final time the candidates appear together before the election. Traditionally, the two candidates roast one another. Some of the jabs have been light-hearted, while others have been more stinging. In 2008, for instance, John McCain and former President Barack Obama took gleeful shots at each other before exchanging praise. While in 2016, the atmosphere was far more tense between Trump and Hillary Clinton.

The post Kamala Harris Bails On Famed Charity Dinner Historically Attended By Both Candidates — First to Spurn an Invite Since 1984 first appeared on Mediaite.

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