Gaffigan highlights Harris absence at dinner: ‘This is a layup’

Comedian Jim Gaffigan swiped at Vice President Harris’s absence at the annual Al Smith charity dinner in New York City on Thursday night, questioning why the Democratic nominee wasn’t present.

“I’m sorry, why is Vice President Harris not here?” Gaffigan, who emceed the dinner, asked the crowd.

“I mean, consider this. … This is a room full of Catholics and Jews in New York City. This is a layup for the Democratic nominee,” he added, saying that the event has been “referred to as the Catholic Met Gala.”

Gaffigan, who has portrayed Harris’s running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), on “Saturday Night Live” in recent weeks, predicted Catholics will be a “key demographic in every battleground state.”

Harris decided not to attend the dinner in person, making her the first major presidential candidate to turn down the invitation in several decades. The vice president did deliver remarks via a video in which she blasted her GOP rival, former President Trump, who was in attendance, for election denialism and his recent attacks on the city of Detroit.

A recent National Catholic Reporter poll found Trump leads Harris among Catholic voters in swing states, 50 percent to 45 percent. But the survey also revealed Harris outpaced Trump among Latino and Black Catholic voters, with 67 percent of Latino Catholics and 77 percent of Black Catholics backing her.

Trump, who did attend the event, also criticized his Democratic rival for not making an appearance.

“My opponent feels like she does not have to be here, which is deeply disrespectful to the event, and in particular to our great Catholic community. Very disrespectful,” Trump said to applause.

Gaffigan also mentioned President Biden’s absence.

“Of course, Joe Biden was our second Catholic president, after JFK. President Biden could not be here tonight — the DNC made sure of that,” he said, referencing the president’s decision to drop out of the race earlier this year amid pressure from the Democratic Party.