Kamala Harris skipping the Al Smith Dinner this year sent waves through the political world, and not in a good way—at least, not for her. This is the first time in four decades that a major candidate has skipped the event, which traditionally raises money for important Catholic causes. While you might think Harris staying home would mean less attention, her absence did the exact opposite. It turned her into the proverbial elephant in the room.
And Jim Gaffigan, the evening’s comedian, had no problem pointing out the awkwardness. He even managed to pull off a solid roast at her expense—a rarity for him these days.
Jim Gaffigan just roasted Kamala Harris for skipping the Al Smith dinner:
“She did find time to appear on The View, Howard Stern, Colbert and the longtime staple of campaigning, the Call Her Daddy podcastpic.twitter.com/dFqlsmL3Dy
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 18, 2024
Harris’ attempt to smooth things over with a pre-taped video message made things even more cringe-worthy. In a desperate reach for laughs, she pulled in SNL’s Molly Shannon to play Mary Katherine Gallagher, a character that, let’s be honest, should have stayed in the ‘90s. It was painful to watch. Harris’ reading off the teleprompter was mechanical and about as sincere as an infomercial. It felt like watching someone “phone it in,” which—let’s be real—is a fitting description for how she approaches the VP job most days.
Kamala sent an extremely unfunny video to the Al Smith Dinner featuring one of the worst SNL characters of all time.pic.twitter.com/wtYRhV9yG6
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 18, 2024
Some are saying Harris didn’t attend because she didn’t want to “humanize” Donald Trump by appearing at the same event as him. But the real takeaway is that Kamala Harris has some seriously thin skin. She can’t handle a roast. She can’t handle tough questions from Fox News’ Bret Baier, either, as was evident from her midweek meltdown. When a politician avoids good-natured ribbing, it’s a sign they can’t handle even the smallest bit of criticism. And that’s not a great look for someone who wants to be president.
Then, in classic Trump fashion, he capitalized on the moment and dominated the room. His 25-minute speech was filled with jokes that had the crowd laughing. He didn’t just poke fun at Kamala’s absence. He roasted her running mate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, saying, “Jim Gaffigan’s been playing Tim Walz on Saturday Night Live. That’ll be a short gig, Jim, but it was fun while it lasted!” His timing was sharp, his confidence unshaken.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: “There’s a group called ‘White Dudes for Harris’ but I’m not worried about them at all, because their wives and their wives’ lovers are all voting for me.” 😂😂pic.twitter.com/hx4sQZUSYt
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) October 18, 2024
Here’s another clip:
Donald Trump held nothing back at the Al Smith dinner:
“I used to think the Democrats were crazy for saying that men have periods, but then I met Tim Walz.”pic.twitter.com/GM0eoXSnO0
— The American Conservative (@amconmag) October 18, 2024
This one is great:
Chuck Schumer looks awkward as Trump roasts him at the Al Smith dinner.
“Chuck Schumer is here looking very glum…But look on the bright side Chuck considering how woke your party has become if Kamala loses you still have a chance to become the first woman president.” pic.twitter.com/xjdmKCusKK
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) October 18, 2024
The whole situation with Harris just highlights the differences between the two candidates. Trump shows up. He takes the hits, makes jokes, and keeps going. Harris, meanwhile, tapes a lousy video, avoids conflict, and hides behind teleprompters. As Clay Travis from Outkick pointed out, Trump knows how to handle himself in a room where he’s hated by half the people. He still shows up and makes his case because, at the end of the day, he’s not talking to the room—he’s talking to the country.
Meanwhile, Harris crumbles when faced with simple questions. Bret Baier wasn’t exactly combative during their interview, but she came across as defensive and rattled. And that’s the issue: she locks up when asked for specifics. It’s why she skips events like the Al Smith Dinner, where she’d have to sit through a few jokes at her expense.
Yeah … https://t.co/wrxfSFM8pv
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 17, 2024
So, while Trump was out there increasing his respect—and maybe even a few votes—Harris was giving us more evidence of just how unprepared she is for the presidency.