A special guest made a surprise appearance during Kamala Harris‘ virtual speech at the annual Al Smith charity dinner Thursday night.
The vice president chose to skip the event in person as she campaigned in Wisconsin, but she still took an opportunity to share some impactful words, only in a quirky way with the help of Molly Shannon.
As Harris kicks off her speech, Shannon’s Mary Katherine Gallagher, a character she originated on Saturday Night Live in the 1990s, is quickly seen running across the screen behind her. The Democratic presidential candidate halts her comments to figure out what’s going on. “Who was that?” Harris asks.
The anxious nerdy Catholic schoolgirl proceeds to introduce herself, saying, “I just want to say that I’m Catholic and tonight is one of the biggest dinners next to the Last Supper.”
“It is a very important dinner and it’s an important tradition that I’m so proud to be a part of,” Harris responds before asking Gallagher if she has any thoughts on what she might say during her speech.
“My feelings about what you should say tonight would be best expressed in a monologue from one of my favorite made-for-TV series,” Gallagher says before jumping right into the monologue: “Don’t you see man, we need a woman to represent us. A woman brings more heart, more compassion, and think how smart she must be to become a top contender in a field dominated by men. It’s time for a woman bro, and with this woman we can fly.”
A seemingly confused Harris asks what show that was from. “Oh, that’s from House of the Dragon now streaming on HBO Max,” Gallagher replies.
Harris also asks if there is anything she maybe shouldn’t bring up in her speech. “Well, don’t lie,” Gallagher quips. “Just so you know, there will be a fact-checker there tonight… Jesus. And maybe don’t say anything negative about Catholics.”
“I would never do that no matter where I was. That would be like criticizing Detroit in Detroit,” Harris responds, referencing Donald Trump’s recent comments about the Michigan city while campaigning there.
Gallagher had one final question before the vice president needed to wrap up her speech. “Does it bother you that that Trump guy insults you all the time because it really bothers my friends?”
“Oh Mary Katherine, it’s very important to always remember you should never let anyone tell you who you are. You tell them who you are,” Harris says.
“Hater’s going to hate hate hate, shake it off,” Gallagher adds in the words of Taylor Swift.
Harris eventually got back to her speech, concluding with, “The Al Smith dinner provides a rare opportunity to set aside partisanship and come together to do some good by supporting the tremendous charitable work of the Catholic Church. The church cares for the sick and feeds the hungry, supports families with housing and education, and in times of disaster, provides not only essential supplies but also, and so importantly, a sense of hope.”
“The Gospel of Luke tells us that faith has the power to shine a light on those living in darkness and to guide our feet in the path of peace,” she continues. “In the spirit of tonight’s dinner, let us recommit to reaching across divides to seek understanding and common ground. And in honor of the great Al Smith, let us fight to build a better future with faith in God, our country and in each other.”
Former President Donald Trump also attended the dinner in New York, which raises millions of dollars for Catholic charities.
