Former President Donald Trump’s remarks at the Al Smith Dinner, an annual fundraiser for Catholic charities, won applause and laughter from the crowd. It’s a longstanding tradition for both major party candidates to attend the dinner and crack some good-natured jokes to foster goodwill amid the partisan rancor of the campaign season.

But Vice President Kamala Harris broke tradition to avoid facing Trump’s remarks, skipping the event and sending a pre-recorded video in her place.

“My opponent feels like she does not have to be here, which is deeply disrespectful to the event, and in particular to our great Catholic community. Very disrespectful,” Trump said to applause.

Harris submitted a pre-recorded video with comedian Molly Shannon, playing the Catholic Saturday Night Live character Mary Catherine Gallagher. It opened with a blushing Gallagher approaching Harris.

“I just want to say that I’m Catholic, and tonight is one of the biggest dinners next to the Last Supper,” Shannon said, proceeding to sing about female empowerment. 

She mocked Catholics and said Jesus would be fact checking Trump at the speech.

“Does it bother you that that Trump guy insults you all the time? Because it really bothers my friends and me,” Shannon said to Harris. 

The video ended with Harris’ platitudes about coming together and finding common ground — despite her absence at the event.

Comedian Jim Gaffigan spoke afterward, poking fun at Harris’ attempted humor.

“I don’t even know what that noise you’re making is,” Gaffigan said.

Democrat Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul’s Department of Justice raided the home and office of conservative Wausau Mayor Doug Diny in connection to Diny’s removal of an unsecured absentee ballot drop box, sources tell The Federalist. 

The raid took place Wednesday afternoon, according to a source with information on the stunning law enforcement operation. The source, who asked not to be identified because of the developing nature of the case, tells The Federalist that law enforcement officials took cell phones and other electronic devices supposedly relevant to the investigation. That included Diny’s wife’s cell phone, the source said. 

An official in the attorney general’s office told The Federalist the state justice department could provide more information on the raid. The agency has not returned a call seeking comment.

Diny could not be reached for comment Friday morning. Madison attorney Joseph Bugni, the mayor’s attorney, declined to comment.

Leftist Lawfare Activists Out for Blood

As The Federalist reported last month, Diny removed the controversial absentee ballot box positioned outside city hall because he said it was not secure. Wausau City Clerk Kaitlyn Bernarde had, according to reports, decided to bring back the drop box without approval from the Wausau City Council. Bernarde told The Washington Post she noticed the drop box was missing and notified Theresa Wetzsteon, Marathon County’s Democrat district attorney. Wetzsteon told the Post that her office is now investigating. 

Diny has defended his decision to remove the drop box and place it inside city hall. 

The liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme

Another Rust Belt town in southwest Ohio is becoming overwhelmed by overseas migrants who’ve nearly doubled the town’s population of 3,500.

A local Cincinnati television station reported last month that while Springfield copes with tens of thousands of Haitian arrivals, “the small village of Lockland is grappling with its own crisis.”

“Estimates suggested that there are up to 3,000 asylum-seeking immigrants, primarily from Mauritania, residing in the Cincinnati suburb,” Local 12 reported. “Lockland Fire Chief and Village Administrator Doug Wehmeyer said the Mauritanians are living in several apartment buildings, often with as many as 10 people in units designed for four.”

“It’s creating a dangerous situation for the residents and firefighters,” Wehmeyer told the television station. “In most cases, all they have is a mattress, a couch, and some clothes. So, while we’re trying to advance a fire hose line down the hallway, they are pulling mattresses and clothes out [of the units], believing that it’s over [and the building will burn down]. Where we look at that and say, ‘Man, there’s 10 people in a unit.’ They look at that and it’s better than the condition they came from.”

Migrants are reportedly calling 911 whenever they get sick, “putting a strain on ambulance crews and local hospitals,” Local 12 reported, while the “public works crew is spending more time cleaning up trash in areas surrounding the immigrants.”

Wehmeyer was in meetings both times his office was called by The Federalist on Thursday and did not return a phone