Wisconsin Democrat Suggests Canceling Thanksgiving in Holiday Remark

Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong is drawing renewed scrutiny after declining to clearly distance herself from a 2020 social media post in which she argued that Thanksgiving should be “canceled” because of what she described as the holiday’s colonialist history. Hong, 37, a Democratic socialist and state lawmaker who has been polling ahead in the Democratic race for governor, was pressed this week by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins about the since-deleted post, written during the Covid pandemic. In it, Hong wrote: “Cancel Thanksgiving. Should have done this in 1621,” adding that if a global pandemic forced people to reconsider “celebrating colonialism” and what she called “the original superspreader event that killed indigenous folx and women,” then “so be it.” The term “folx” is commonly used in progressive circles as an inclusive spelling of “folks,” often intended to acknowledge transgender and non-binary people. Asked whether she still believed Thanksgiving celebrations should be canceled, Hong did not answer directly, instead pointing to her background in food and community service. “I’m a chef, and one of the first meals that I made that was for the community when I was 16 was a Thanksgiving meal,” she said.

Hong continued by framing the holiday as both a moment for gathering and a source of pain for some communities. “I always think my hospitality background and owning a restaurant for 7-8 years, that bringing folks around the table to share conversation and build community is always a good thing,” she said. “But Thanksgiving is also a time that’s incredibly painful for many people in our communities. So I think there I wanted to make sure people understood there are multiple views, but views can evolve.” She then linked the answer to her campaign message, saying the office she is seeking calls for someone who can bring people together. “And the position I’m running for right now — and I think my background as a chef will actually help me become a better governor that’s able to bring more people to the table,” Hong added.

The exchange quickly circulated online, where critics accused Hong of dodging a simple question about whether she still supports “canceling Thanksgiving.” Some social media users, including people sympathetic to her politics, said the response risked sounding needlessly polarizing in a statewide race. The controversy over the deleted Thanksgiving post is one of several past statements now being revisited as Hong’s Wisconsin governor campaign gains visibility. She has previously used slogans calling to “defund the police” and, in other posts, voiced support for abolishing police. In one social media post, Hong wrote: “Police exist to uphold white supremacy. Defund then abolish. Reform can’t be a option.” In a candidate questionnaire completed in January 2026, she also reaffirmed support for “police and prison abolition” and for the “liberation of the Palestinian people.”

As her campaign has moved into the spotlight, Hong has sought to clarify or soften some of those earlier positions. Last month, she wrote on X: “Once again: I am not running to defund the police. And to be clear, the governor cannot defund the police. My administration will prioritize public safety & justice for victims.” Collins also asked Hong this week whether she still supported abolishing police or prisons. Hong responded that, if elected governor, she is “not interested in abolishing prisons” or abolishing police. Even with controversy surrounding her past comments and policy positions, Hong has emerged as a major contender in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor.

A recent Marquette University Law School poll showed Hong leading the Democratic field with 38 percent support among Wisconsin voters surveyed. Former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes followed at 16 percent, while Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley registered seven percent. Another resurfaced social media post from 2019 has also drawn attention. In that post, Hong said she left a Culver’s restaurant because there were “too many old white people” inside. She wrote that she became anxious at the Black River Falls fast-food location after she believed other customers assumed she and her son did not speak English.

“I ate two bites of my kid’s cheeseburger at a Culver’s in Black River Falls and told him they ran out of ice cream,” Hong wrote at the time. “Mostly just wanted to leave because I was on the verge of an anxiety attack… too many old white people who didn’t think we spoke English.” The post was later amplified by conservative commentator Matt Walsh, who criticized Hong’s candidacy in a state whose population is predominantly white. “A woman who confessed to having anxiety attacks around white people wants to be governor of Wisconsin, an 85 percent white state,” Walsh wrote on X. “If this doesn’t immediately destroy her campaign and career then we’re doomed as a country,” he added.

Hong responded by resurfacing a separate 2020 post in which she had offered a more lighthearted critique of Culver’s menu, saying: “They are the perfect road curd. No other fried curd comes close. Only Culvers curds or fresh curds are appropriate for travel. For in person dining Culver’s curds are indeed, trash.” In her new reply, Hong wrote: “I see that folks are digging up old tweets in an attempt to shift the narrative in this race. I stand by this statement, unequivocally. Their fries also leave much to be desired. The Reuben, however, slaps.” She has not publicly addressed the specific remarks about “old white people.” The Daily Mail has contacted Hong’s campaign for comment.