It was a no show for Kamala Harris at the Al Smith dinner in 2024. And while Trump was there, he wasn’t wearing white tie, as presidential candidate wore in previous years. Typically the candidates looked more like these guys:
Maybe Trump was trying to channel President Kennedy:
Who knows.
For those of us outside Manhattan, it’s truly an odd event. Perhaps it made more sense before the television cameras, but it seems strange for those of us outside of NYC to watch candidates dressed in white tie and hobnob with that city’s elite. Maybe that’s why Trump wore dressed down black tie. Or why Harris didn’t attend at all.
The pandemic put a dint in the Al Smith dinner. I wonder if we will see it restored to its former importance in 2028? Or maybe, like top hats and top coats, this event will become an anachronism.
if it starts to die off, that’s too bad. I like a good white tie event. 🙂
Smart People I Know 