Francesca Hong defends call to ‘cancel Thanksgiving,’ but says ‘views can evolve’

Campaign Francesca Hong defends call to ‘cancel Thanksgiving,’ but says ‘views can evolve’ Comments: by Ashleigh Fields - 08/04/26 12:42 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Ashleigh Fields - 08/04/26 12:42 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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Democratic socialist and former Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong (D) on Monday defended a past social media post urging the country to “cancel Thanksgiving” further leaning into her progressive agenda that’s gained traction for her Wisconsin gubernatorial campaign.

Hong, a professional chef, said Thanksgiving is a “time that’s incredibly painful for many people in our communities” during an appearance on CNN’s “The Source.”

Anchor Kaitlan Collins asked if Hong still stood by her now-deleted post on X from 2021.

“Cancel Thanksgiving. Should have done this in 1621,” Hong previously wrote on the social platform.

“If it takes a worldwide pandemic for us to realize we should stop celebrating colonialism and the original superspreader event that killed indigenous folx and women, so be it,” the post continued.

Republicans have been hammering Hong over the statement and the possibility of her becoming the Democratic nominee for governor in The Badger State.

“The Thanksgiving answer was so off the mark for what people view as ‘normal,'” Jessica Taylor of the non-partisan Cook Political Report wrote in a post on X.

Other strategists agreed.

“It’s answers like these than cause many to think if this chef wins the gubernatorial primary in WI, Ds may be cooked,” Democrat David Axelrod wrote in a Tuesday post on X.

Hong’s top competitor, former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes (D-Wisc.), suspended his campaign following allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace.

Now Hong is facing off against Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, state Sen. Kelda Roys (D-Wisc.) and Joel Brennan in the Aug. 11 primary.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) has endorsed Crowley while other Democratic progressives including Reps. Ro Khanna (Calif.) and Ilhan Omar (Minn.) are backing Hong, who has pushed for a state Economic Justice Bill of Rights and proposed a state bank and free social services.

However, Hong hasn’t received an endorsement from the Democratic Socialists of America but has gained support from several local chapters.

“Voters all across the state, regardless of party, want someone who’s going to be able to deliver change and deliver help to solve the problems that they have…,” Hong told The Hill on Tuesday, arguing that she’s just as “frustrated” and “stressed” over the current state of politics.

“So, what a democratic socialist and being a democratic socialist means to me is that I want the public goods. Childcare should be a public good, and public education, the services that everyone uses, from utilities to the roads. But I want them to be better for them. And being a democratic socialist means that I’m focusing on things being unapologetically pro-public,” she added.

The recent rise of democratic socialists in various primaries has brought some concern about how Democrats will perform in general elections. Establishment politicians argue that the new trend is localized and will not impact the national outcome in November.

However, socialists like New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) disagree, arguing that socialism is tied to the core values of the Democratic party.

“So much of what makes me proud to be a Democrat is looking at what our party used to stand for. You think about the Four Freedoms, you think FDR, you think the New Deal,” Mamdani told the New York Times in an interview.

“Those are at the core of what our party’s identity is, and yet it feels like to experience it, you have to read about it. You can’t see it around you anymore. And that isn’t something that I’m willing to accept, and I know that many feel similarly,” he added.