A progressive Democratic candidate for Wisconsin governor is drawing criticism after declining to walk back an earlier comment suggesting Thanksgiving should be scrapped over what she described as the holiday’s colonialist origins.
Francesca Hong, 37, a democratic socialist who has been leading polls in the Wisconsin gubernatorial contest, was pressed this week about a 2020 post on X in which she criticized the tradition during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The now-deleted post stated: “Cancel Thanksgiving. Should have done this in 1621.”
It continued: “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.” “Folx” is a gender-neutral variation of “folks” often used to signal inclusivity, including for transgender and non-binary people.
Asked by CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins whether she still believes Thanksgiving celebrations should be canceled, Hong did not offer a direct yes-or-no answer.
Instead, she pointed to her own experience in food and hospitality, saying: “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.”
Hong added: “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 also acknowledged the holiday’s complicated meaning for some Americans, saying: “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.”
‘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.’
Francesca Hong, 37, a Democratic socialist who is leading polls in the Wisconsin gubernatorial race, is facing backlash after refusing to walk back her suggestion that Thanksgiving should be cancelled because of its ‘colonialist’ roots
When asked by CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins over whether she still wants to cancel Thanksgiving celebrations, Hong failed to give a yes or no answer
Hong’s refusal to say she wouldn’t try to ‘cancel Thanksgiving’ drew mockery and backlash on social media, with even her own supporters saying they felt it was unnecessarily divisive.
Hong’s since-deleted post about Thanksgiving is among a number of extreme policy positions the socialist has come under scrutiny for amid her bid for the governor’s office.
She has repeatedly called to ‘defund the police’, and has gone as far as saying she wants to ‘abolish’ the police.
Hong has also said in a social media post: ‘Police exist to uphold white supremacy. Defund then abolish. Reform can’t be a option.’
As recently as January 2026, Hong completed a candidate questionnaire re-affirming her ‘commitment to police and prison abolition’, as well as the ‘liberation of the Palestinian people.’
But with her gubernatorial campaign gaining traction, Hong has attempted to walk back some of these positions, and last month said 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.’
When asked by Collins this week if she was still intent on abolishing police or prisons, Hong said she was ‘not interested in abolishing prisons’ or police, if she is elected.
Hong’s since-deleted post about Thanksgiving is among a number of extreme policy positions the socialist has come under scrutiny for amid her bid for the governor’s office – including repeat calls to abolish the police
Despite her extreme policy views, Hong has emerged as a front runner in the Democratic primary for Wisconsin governor.
A recent Marquette University Law School poll of Wisconsin voters found Hong came in first with 38 percent support, far ahead of former Lt. Governor Mandela Barnes at 16 percent.
Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley came in a distant third at seven percent.
Another of Hong’s questionable social media posts came in 2019, when she declared to her followers that she left a restaurant because there were ‘too many old white people’ inside.
Hong, 37, posted on X in 2019 that anxiety drove her to leave the fast-food restaurant Culver’s after the ‘white people’ allegedly thought she and her son didn’t 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,’ she wrote.
‘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.’
Hong, seen campaigning this week with Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar and communist influencer Hasan Piker, has attempted to walk back some of her most extreme positions as her gubernatorial campaign gains traction
Hong’s post was reshared on X by right-wing political commentator Matt Walsh, who wrote: ‘A woman who confessed to having anxiety attacks around white people wants to be governor of Wisconsin, an 85 percent white state.’
‘If this doesn’t immediately destroy her campaign and career then we’re doomed as a country,’ he added.
In response, Hong re-shared a post that saw her commenting on Culver’s in 2020, which said: ‘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.’
Hong’s fresh response said: ‘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 yet addressed her comments about ‘old white people.’ The Daily Mail has contacted Hong’s campaign for comment.
