Harris goes to church, highlighting absence of religion in 2024 campaign
Religion is making a rare appearance on the campaign trail this week in a presidential election that has dwelled less on candidates’ personal faith than any in recent memory.
Religion is making a rare appearance on the campaign trail this week in a presidential election that has dwelled less on candidates’ personal faith than any in recent memory.
Vice President Kamala Harris is planning to attend services and speak at the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church outside Atlanta on Sunday, while her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will visit Victorious Believers Ministries in Saginaw, Michigan.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump on Thursday criticized Harris for skipping the Al Smith dinner in New York City, a high-profile fundraiser for Catholic charities, saying her absence was “very disrespectful to our great Catholic community.” Harris instead sent a video.
While candidates in both parties have traditionally sought to play up their piety to appeal to religious voters and signal their personal integrity, Harris, Trump and their running mates have not centered their faith this year.
That’s a marked contrast from President Joe Biden, a lifelong Catholic who regularly attends services, quotes hymns and figures like St. Augustine, and can be seen on Ash Wednesday with ash on his forehead.
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