A presidential election tradition dating back to 1960 brought some laughs in New York City on Thursday night, but for the first time in 40 years, only one candidate will be on the ballot.

Former President Donald Trump spoke at the Archdiocese of New York’s annual Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner at the New York Hilton, where he was joined by his wife Melania Trump. Vice President Kamala Harris announced last month that she could not attend due to a conflicting campaign event, but appeared in a video at the dinner.

“She will be campaigning in a battleground state that day, and the campaign wants to maximize her time on the battlefield so close to the election,” a campaign official told ABC News on September 23.

The vice president campaigned in Wisconsin on Thursday.

Trump alternated between making jokes about Harris and some other attendees and the set lines he used during his campaigns, but he did acknowledge the event’s tradition of self-deprecating humor and said one was coming before conceding, “Ah, I have nothing. “

Harris appeared in her video with “Saturday Night Live” character Mary Katherine Gallagher, played by Molly Shannon as an awkward Catholic schoolgirl who dreams of becoming a superstar.

Harris asked Mary Katherine for advice on how to address the Catholic meeting.

“Is there anything you think maybe I shouldn’t bring up tonight?”

“Um, well, don’t lie,” Mary Katherine replied.

“Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor,” Harris said.

“Indeed, especially your neighbor’s election results,” Mary Katherine said.

Trump chastised Harris in a Truth Social post ahead of the event for not showing up.

“They didn’t give me the option of a video message, and I wouldn’t have done that either. This is very disrespectful to everyone involved,” he said, adding that Harris should lose the Catholic vote on this.

After Harris’ video played, Trump echoed that sentiment.

“It’s a long-standing tradition that both the Democratic and Republican candidates for president of the United States attend this dinner. Always. It’s a rule. Otherwise, bad things will happen to you from up there,” he said. “You can’t do what I just saw on that screen. But my opponent feels like she doesn’t have to be here, which is very disrespectful to the event and especially to our great Catholic community. Very disrespectful.”

Later, mentioning the charity behind the dinner, Trump took another shot at Harris, saying, “I think you should have told her that the money would have saved the looters and rioters in Minneapolis, and that she would have been here guaranteed.” .’

Since 1960, the black-tie event has hosted both Democratic and Republican presidential candidates and allowed them to “share self-critical humor” and raise money for the archdiocese’s charitable organizations.

It is named in honor of Alfred E. Smith, the former governor of New York who became the first Catholic to be nominated for presidential election by a major party.

The last time a presidential candidate was unable to attend the dinner was in 1984, when Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale withdrew.

The event was hosted by comedian Jim Gaffigan, who currently plays Governor Tim Walz on “Saturday Night Live.”

Trump confirmed his attendance in a Truth Social post on September 23, not long after Harris’ campaign announced she would not show up.

“It is sad, but not surprising, that Kamala has decided not to attend,” he said in the post.

In the same post, Trump accused Harris of being anti-Catholic and repeated previous claims, without evidence, that the government was persecuting Catholics. President Joe Biden is the second Catholic president in American history and attends mass weekly.

In the past, the presidential candidates have roasted each other and seemed to be in a good mood all night long. Things were different in 2016, however, the last time both presidential candidates attended the event in person.

Trump was booed during his 2016 Al Smith dinner speech for repeatedly mentioning Sec. from Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.

During Clinton’s remarks, the Democratic nominee made some self-deprecating jokes about her staying power and made speeches before turning her attention to Trump, where she took him to task on everything from his temperament to his ties to Russia.

Trump did not laugh or appear amused by his opponent’s jokes.

Soo Rin Kim, Fritz Farrow, Gabriella Abdul-Hakim and Will McDuffie of ABC News contributed to this report.