October 18, 2024
New York City – Comedian Jim Gaffigan created a stir when he delivered several witty jokes to Vice President Kamala Harris and Democrats at the Al Smith dinner on Thursday night. The gags made particular sense as Harris was the first presidential candidate in 40 years not to attend the standard, witty charity affair.
Gaffigan, who was hosting the Manhattan event, poked several times at Harris’s absence and the Democratic presidential nominee’s media habits. He joked that Harris had shaved time off between appearances on other shows, like the porn-themed podcast Call Her Daddy and The View.
“You know, this event has been referred to as the Catholic Met Gala. Twenty-two percent of Americans identify as Catholic. Catholics will be a key demographic in every battleground state. I’m sorry, why is Vice President Harris not here?” Gaffigan quipped, generating roaring laughter from the crowd.
He went on to say: “In her defense, she did find time to appear on The View, Howard Stern, Colbert, and the longtime staple of campaigning, the Call Her Daddy podcast.”
Perhaps his sharpest jab came when Gaffigan hinted that Democrats were so fearful of a Trump victory that they had “staged a coup” to replace President Biden with Harris. “The Democrats have been telling us Trump’s reelection is a threat to democracy. In fact, they were so concerned of this threat, they staged a coup, ousted their democratically elected incumbent, and installed Kamala Harris,” Gaffigan said.
And the joke went viral on social media, where critics congratulated the comedian on his attack on Harris and the Democratic establishment. “Hello 911, I’d like to report the murder of an entire political party,” one user wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Gaffigan’s appearance videos circulated — comments in many cases claiming his gags had been accepted by fate because they came from the truth. Videos from the event have been circulated online, intensifying the comedian’s attack on Harris and encouraging others to question the Democratic Party.
Harris’ lack of attendance at the dinner and Gaffigan’s harsh barbs remained topics of post-dinner tussle, with many wondering why the vice president should miss such a significant event. It was a large gathering populated by traditional political figures, like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and former President Donald Trump.
Harris spoke in a taped address to the crowd but, as there wasn’t an actual Harris on stage, there was a hollow space in the middle, and Gaffigan’s jabs were even more stinging.
More about the Al Smith dinner and the response to Gaffigan’s comments can be found at Fox News or The New York Post.
