A special guest made a surprise appearance during Kamala Harris' virtual speech at Al Smith's annual benefit dinner Thursday night.
The vice president chose to skip the in-person event as she campaigned in Wisconsin, but she still took the opportunity to share some impactful words, only in a bizarre way with the help of Molly Shannon.
As Harris kicks off her speech, Shannon's Mary Katherine Gallagher, a character she originated from Saturday night live in the 1990s, she is quickly seen running across the screen behind her. The Democratic presidential candidate interrupts her comments to figure out what's going on. “Who was that?” Harris asks.
The anxious, nerdy Catholic student proceeds to introduce herself, saying, “I just want to say that I'm Catholic and tonight is one of the biggest dinners since the Last Supper.”
“It's 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 he has any ideas about what he might say during his speech.
“My feelings about what you should say tonight would be best expressed in a monologue from one of my favorite TV shows,” Gallagher says before launching straight into the monologue: “Don't you see man, we need a woman to represent us. A woman bring more heart, more compassion and think about how smart she has to be to become a top contender in a male-dominated field It's time for a woman, brother, and with this woman we can fly.
A seemingly confused Harris asks what show he was from. “Oh, it's from House of the Dragon now streaming on HBO Max,” replies Gallagher.
Harris also asks if there is anything he perhaps shouldn't mention in his speech. “Well, don't lie,” Gallagher jokes. “Just so you know, there will be a fact-checker there tonight… Jesus. And maybe don't say anything bad about Catholics.”
“I would never do that, no matter where I was. It would be like criticizing Detroit in Detroit,” Harris responds, referring to Donald Trump's recent comments about the Michigan city while campaigning there.
Gallagher had one final question before the vice president had to conclude his speech. “Does it bother you that that Trump guy insults you all the time because it really bothers my friends?”
“Oh Mary Katherine, it is very important to always remember that you should never let anyone tell you who you are. Tell them who you are,” Harris says.
“Haters gonna hate, hate, hate, shake it off,” adds Gallagher in the words of Taylor Swift.
Harris eventually returned to her speech, concluding with: “The Al Smith dinner offers a rare opportunity to put aside partisanship and come together to do good by supporting the enormous charitable work of the Catholic Church. The Church cares for the sick and feeds the hungry, supports families with shelter and education, and, in times of disaster, provides not only basic necessities but also, more importantly, a sense of hope.”
“The Gospel of Luke tells us that faith has the power to illuminate those who live in darkness and to guide our steps on the path to peace,” he continues. “In the spirit of tonight's dinner, let us recommit ourselves to transcending divisions 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 each other.”
Former President Donald Trump, who raises millions of dollars for Catholic charities, also attended the dinner in New York.