Vice President Kamala Harris is facing backlash after skipping the prestigious Al Smith charity dinner in New York City, where she became the first presidential candidate in nearly 40 years to miss the event. Her subsequent video message is being criticized as disrespectful to Catholics.
The video, which featured Saturday Night Live’s Mary Katherine Gallagher, played by Molly Shannon, included a controversial moment where Shannon declared, “It’s time for a woman to be in charge” after an offbeat gag involving sniffing her armpits. Many attendees found this choice inappropriate for the traditionally respectful occasion.
In the video, Harris took several jabs at former President Donald Trump, particularly mocking his ongoing denial of the election results. At one point, she asked Shannon for speaking advice, to which Shannon quipped, “Don’t lie. Thou shall not bear false witness to thy neighbor.” Harris responded with a smirk, “Indeed, especially thy neighbor’s election results.”
However, the most contentious moment came when Shannon cautioned Harris not to say anything negative about Catholics. Harris replied, “I would never do that no matter where I was. That would be like criticizing Detroit in Detroit,” referencing Trump’s recent disparaging remarks about the city. This comment, meant to be humorous, instead drew criticism.
The reaction was swift, with many attendees visibly uncomfortable and social media users expressing outrage. One commenter labeled her quoting of scripture as “blasphemy,” while another called her portrayal of Catholics “disgusting.” A third user described the video as “a terrible waste of 3 1/2 minutes,” dismissing it as “not funny and full of disingenuous crap.”
Critics also pointed to Harris’s past conflicts with Catholic groups, including her contentious relationship with the Knights of Columbus, suggesting that her decision to appear via video was intentional. One detractor remarked, “Her behavior towards Catholics is precisely why she hid behind a screen instead of showing up in person.”
