Catholic League President Bill Donohue skewered Democrat presidential nominee Kamala Harris for skipping the Al Smith charity dinner next month while noting she "talks like a preschooler," is short on policy and worse on persona.
In other words, Donohue wrote, it's "smart" for Harris not to attend the event.
While calling her reason for snubbing the Catholic charities fundraiser a "poor excuse," Donohue reasoned it was a good move nonetheless because "this kind of setting would be a disaster" for Harris.
Donohue made the blistering remarks in a column on the Catholic League website in the aftermath of Harris becoming just the second presidential candidate ever to skip the Al Smith Dinner (Walter Mondale was the other in 1984) because "she will be busy campaigning."
While Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York said he was "disappointed" by Harris' decision and experts called the snub "puzzling," Donohue said Harris doesn't have the "persona" for the event.
"This event demands that the participants be quick on their feet, and that is not exactly her strong suit. And she won't have her dancing sidekick, Tim [Walz], or her billionaire buddy, Oprah, there to bail her out," Donohue wrote.
Donohue also took aim at Harris' policies.
"Neither Harris nor Trump is Catholic, but that doesn't matter as much as their policies. Trump is pro-life, pro-school choice and pro-religious liberty. She is anti-life, anti-school choice and anti-religious liberty. Given this reality, a Catholic setting is not exactly the kind of venue that Harris would relish," Donohue wrote, adding:
- "On abortion, Harris has never found one she couldn't justify."
- "Harris has consistently voted against every school choice measure ever proposed."
- "When it comes to religious liberty, Harris is a co-sponsor of the Equality Act and the sponsor of the Do No Harm Act. Both would exempt the bill's provisions from the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), the most consequential religious-liberty legislation ever adopted."
So, Trump will be the lone presidential candidate at the white-tie gala on Oct. 17, and that's just as well, Donohue said.
"The event is known for allowing the candidates to 'roast' each other. This is right up Trump's alley — he is lightning fast and loves to roast his foes on a regular basis. But for Harris, this kind of setting would be a disaster," Donohue wrote.
"Let's face it — she talks like a pre-schooler. Gibberish. Hands waving, she has a hard time stringing two coherent sentences together. No matter what the question is, she begins by personalizing her response, all the while thinking of something — anything — to say," he added.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.