Trump expands religious attacks to Catholic Democrats

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is expanding his list of religious and ethnic groups he has attacked, this time targeting Catholic Democrats – or any person of the Catholic faith who votes for Vice President Kamala Harris for President.

Donald Trump repeatedly has attacked people of the Jewish faith planning on voting Democratic, saying they “should have their heads examined.” Earlier this month Haaretz, Israel’s paper of record detailed those attacks in “Fifty Shades of Antisemitism: What Trump Says About U.S. Jews, in Office and on the Campaign Trail.”

It’s not just Jews.

Trump has also targeted, mistreated, abused, exploited, or degraded Black people, Asians, Muslims, immigrants, refugees, native Americans, Puerto Ricans, and women, among other groups.

And now, Catholics.

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“Any Catholic that votes for Comrade Kamala Harris should have their head examined,” Trump declared Monday afternoon.

His made his remarks on his Truth Social website, where he gleefully declared he will attend the Al Smith Dinner, the annual white tie fundraiser where, during presidential election years, the candidates of both major parties are usually invited to attend and roast each other – and sometimes themselves, all in good humor.

Usually.

“It will be an honor to attend the SOLD OUT 79th ANNUAL AL SMITH DINNER on October 17th in New York,” Trump wrote. “It will be great to see so many wonderful people there, including Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan. We know the Spirit of Al Smith, the first Catholic Nominee of a Major Party, and John F. Kennedy, the FIRST Catholic President, will be in the room with us that night,” said, appearing to somehow take a swing at President Joe Biden, America’s only other Catholic President.

He declared “it was a HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL evening in 2016 when we were there in person with Crooked Hillary Clinton. The reviews of my remarks were TREMENDOUS.”

The reviews were not “tremendous.” There were terrible.

“At Al Smith Dinner, Donald Trump Turns Friendly Roast Into 3-Alarm Fire” (NPR)

“Donald Trump Heckled by New York Elite at Charity Dinner” (NY Times)

“Trump delivers harsh remarks on Clinton at charity dinner” (CNN)

“A Not-So-Funny Dinner with Clinton and Trump” (The New Yorker)

“Donald Trump, Son of a Catholic Hater, Disgraces Al Smith Dinner” (The Daily Beast)

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“It’s sad, but not surprising, that Kamala has decided not to attend. I don’t know what she has against our Catholic friends, but it must be a lot, because she certainly hasn’t been very nice to them, in fact, Catholics are literally being persecuted by this Administration. Any Catholic that votes for Comrade Kamala Harris should have their head examined…” Trump concluded.

Religion News Services’ Jack Jenkins remarked on Vice President Harris’s decision to skip the event.

“This is surprising (Al Smith dinner is traditionally a big ‘ol Catholic deal!) but might have to do with Trump’s actions at the 2016 Al Smith dinner, when he broke decorum and launched into an attack on Clinton in a format where she couldn’t interrupt.”

During his 2016 Al Smith Dinner speech Trump told attendees, “Hillary is so corrupt she got kicked off the Watergate Commission. How corrupt do you have to be to get kicked off the Watergate Commission? Pretty corrupt.”

He went on to invoke email and Wikileaks (video below, full transcript here.)

Political scientist David Darmofal added, “At the 2016 Al Smith Dinner, Trump mocked Haitians. @CardinalDolan has invited Trump to speak at this year’s Al Smith Dinner at a time when Trump is endangering the lives of Haitian immigrants, many of whom are Catholic.”

Watch a portion of Trump’s remarks at the 2016 Al Smith Dinner below or at this link.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com