With only a couple of rare exceptions, it has been an election year tradition since 1960 for both major party nominees to attend and co-headline the annual Al Smith dinner and fundraiser event to support Catholic charities in New York City, named in honor of former New York Gov. Al Smith, the first Catholic presidential nominee of a major party.

Former President Donald Trump, the GOP nominee, announced on Monday that he plans to attend the formal yet humorous event scheduled for October 17, just a few weeks ahead of November's presidential election, according to the Associated Press.

He will be the sole nominee in attendance, however, as Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee, revealed a few days earlier that she plans to skip the prestigious event watched by millions of American voters across the country.

Trump plans to attend Al Smith dinner

In a pair of Truth Social posts on Monday, former President Trump wrote, "It will be an honor to attend the SOLD OUT 79th ANNUAL AL SMITH DINNER on October 17th in New York. It will be great to see so many wonderful people there, including Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan. We know the Spirit of Al Smith, the first Catholic Nominee of a Major Party, and John F. Kennedy, the FIRST Catholic President, will be in the room with us that night."

"It was a virtual event in 2020, and I was delighted to speak to our Catholic friends that day and, of course, it was a HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL evening in 2016 when we were there in person with Crooked Hillary Clinton. The reviews of my remarks were TREMENDOUS," he continued of his previous appearances at the event.

"It’s sad, but not surprising, that Kamala has decided not to attend," Trump added. "I don’t know what she has against our Catholic friends, but it must be a lot, because she certainly hasn’t been very nice to them, in fact, Catholics are literally being persecuted by this Administration. Any Catholic that votes for Comrade Kamala Harris should have their head examined."

In a follow-up post, the former Republican president provided a few examples of his Democratic opponent's alleged anti-Catholic actions, including legal action against charitable Catholic healthcare organizations, disparaging the Knights of Columbus fraternal group, and hosting a transgender celebration event at the White House on Easter Sunday.

"Regardless, I will see everyone on October 17th, and we will have a GREAT night for Catholic Charities," Trump said. "It’s sad that Kamala doesn’t care about these good works, but with her History of anti-Catholic actions, she would have a hard time anyway!"

Harris to campaign in battleground state instead of attend Al Smith dinner

CNN reported on Saturday that, according to VP Harris' campaign, the Democratic nominee has no plans to attend the Al Smith dinner and Catholic charity fundraiser event next month.

Instead, the campaign revealed that Harris would be at a campaign event in a battleground state on the same evening as the famed annual gala.

But that excuse for not attending the nationally televised event that will be seen by far more prospective supporters and voters than any campaign rally rings hollow to some.

The real reason Harris isn't going to the charity dinner

According to the New York Post's Editorial Board, the likely real "obvious" and "pathetic" reason VP Harris skipping the Al Smith charity fundraiser dinner is fear -- both of what former President Trump might say about her as well as her apparent inability to speak spontaneously without a teleprompter.

With few exceptions, the dinner is famous for having the two major nominees humorously roast each other and others -- something the comedic former president excels at but that the humorless Harris seemingly struggles with, as her unfunny jokes, on the rare occasion she tells them, tend to fall flat.

Interestingly enough, other than 1996 when neither major candidate was invited to the Al Smith dinner, the only other time that one candidate skipped the event while the other attended was 1984, when Democratic nominee Walter Mondale declined an invitation and was subsequently stomped in a 49-state blowout electoral win by then-President Ronald Reagan.