For the past eight decades, presidential candidates have traveled to New York to participate in a Catholic charity event known as the Al Smith dinner.

Yet this year saw Vice President Kamala Harris buck tradition by sending a pre-recorded video rather than showing up. 

Harris is the first candidate to miss dinner in 40 years

According to Just the News, Harris had previously announced last month that she would be skipping the event in order to focus on campaigning in Wisconsin.

The website pointed out that Harris is the first presidential candidate to not attend the Al Smith dinner since fellow Democrat Walter Mondale in 1984.

Just the News noted how the vice president's absence was lamented by Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who serves as archbishop of New York.

"This year will be imbalanced because, sadly, Kamala Harris isn't coming," Dolan was quoted as saying during his podcast on Tuesday.

"It's a shame because the nature of the evening is to bring people together," the cardinal continued before adding, "The nature of the evening is civility, patriotism, humor. It's not a campaign speech. It's not a campaign stop."

CNN commentator dismisses dinner as being for "mostly white men"

Meanwhile, Fox News reported that CNN commentator Karen Finney defended Harris' decision not to attend the dinner, citing race as a factor.

"That is a stuffy room full of insiders, the quintessential backroom kind of old New York, old, stodgy, mostly white men… and she’s not of that," Finney said before adding, "That’s not who she is. That’s not where she comes from."

Although Harris was conspicuously absent from the event, former President Donald Trump apparently relished his chance to participate.

That drew unexpected praise from CNN host and longtime critic Brian Stelter, who highlighted Trump's jokes about nearly being assassinated.

Trump criticizing Harris for avoiding dinner

For his part, Trump later criticized Harris for avoiding the dinner, suggesting that it was an act of disrespect to Catholic voters.

Donald Trump held nothing back at the Al Smith dinner in New York, even joking about Kamala Harris' husband's "nanny issue."

Here are his top jokes of the night:

5. Trump said he didn't realize men could get periods until he saw Tim Walz.

4. Trump says he has to wrap up his… pic.twitter.com/tQq9Hu5143

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 18, 2024

"Lemme tell you something," Trump said at a Michigan airport on Friday morning. "She should have been there last night with the Catholics. All they do is put out sound bites."