While former President Donald Trump is actively courting Catholic voters through a two-pronged approach—attending the Al Smith Dinner in New York and appearing in an interview on EWTN—Vice President Kamala Harris has notably stayed away from engaging this key voting bloc.
This year, Harris broke with a long-standing presidential campaign tradition by opting not to attend the $5,000-a-plate Smith event on Thursday night, instead focusing her efforts on key battleground states, although she is expected to address dinner attendees by video.
In contrast, Trump will make his third appearance at the gala, further solidifying his strong ties with conservative Catholics, especially through his positions on abortion.
Trump is expected to enjoy positive media coverage during the dinner, and shortly after, EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network, which says it is the world’s largest Catholic media network) will air a pre-recorded interview with the former president. It noted that while Trump, the Republican nominee, accepted an invitation, it submitted “multiple requests” for an interview with Harris, the Democratic nominee, but have yet to receive a response.
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris answers questions during a moderated conversation with members of the National Association of Black Journalists on September 17 in Philadelphia. This year, Harris broke with a long-standing presidential campaign tradition by opting not to attend the Al Smith Dinner in New York.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
Harris’ team explained that instead of attending the dinner, they were focusing on rallies in swing states. In one of the most critical states—Pennsylvania—the latest Real Clear Politics average shows Trump leading 48.3 percent to 47.9 percent. Another issue for Harris is that exit polls from 2020 indicate that 30 percent of Pennsylvania voters are Catholic, and political observers believe her lack of outreach to the group could hurt her chances.
Brian Browne, a political science professor at St. John’s University in New York, called it a “missed opportunity” to demonstrate bipartisan camaraderie. Meanwhile, William McGurn, former chief speechwriter for President George W. Bush, warned in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that failing to engage with Catholic voters could “prove costly” in a razor-thin election.
Harris’ failure to appeal to Catholic voters isn’t limited to Pennsylvania. According to a National Catholic Reporter poll released on Monday, Trump is also polling ahead of Harris among Catholic voters in other swing states. Trump holds a significant lead in Wisconsin, where he is ahead by 18 points among Catholics, and in Michigan, where he leads by 12.
Abortion could sway Catholic voters this cycle, as the church views it as murder. In 2020, Catholics were evenly split between Trump and Joe Biden, who became the first Catholic president since John F. Kennedy.
A recent poll shows 51 percent of Catholics in swing states are anti-abortion, while 58 percent believe abortion should be legal. Trump’s softened stance, including his promise to veto a national ban, has 45 percent support among Catholics. The poll also reveals Trump leads by 8 points with older Catholics, while Harris holds a 7-point lead among younger Catholics.
On the national level, a Pew Research Center survey from last month showed Harris trailing among Catholic voters, with 47 percent support to Trump’s 52 percent. The numbers were flipped in 2020, when Biden defeated Trump, according to exit polls from The Washington Post. In 2016, Hillary Clinton also lost Catholic voters to Trump by a margin of 52 percent to 45 percent.
While Harris, who is a faithful Baptist, has made efforts to rally Catholic support, including through events like the “Catholics for Harris-Walz” meeting, her stance on issues such as abortion has created friction with the Church. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who leads the Archdiocese of New York, pointed out that the Al Smith Dinner format could have played to Harris’ weaknesses and the decision to skip the dinner reveals “bad advice.”
“She simply said she needs to focus on campaigning,” Dolan said on his Conversation with Cardinal Dolan podcast. “This isn’t a campaign event, but it’s certainly good visibility. It’s a national audience, and everyone covers it. Now, the news is that she’s not there. I’m not sure who’s advising her, but it’s not good advice.”
