After Initially Defending Her ‘Cancel Thanksgiving’ Post, Hong Now Claims It’s Her ‘Favorite’ Holiday

If this is what she says about her favorite holiday, one wonders what she thinks about her least favorite.

Francesca Hong, a socialist running to be Wisconsin’s next governor, managed to stand out even among a particularly radical group of far-left candidates when some of her previous comments resurfaced.

One, a social media post calling for the cancellation of Thanksgiving, she initially defended. But as the backlash continued, she pulled an abrupt 180.

As The Hill reported:

Hong, a professional chef and Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate, added that she “actually loves” Thanksgiving. She originally defended the post, which was published to social media in 2021, during a Monday CNN appearance — sparking criticism from Republicans and political strategists.

“I’m just going to be real, I’m kind of a curmudgeon when it comes to holidays in general,” Hong told Sentner on Wednesday. “But right now, what we want to get serious about is making sure we deliver a Democratic trifecta.”

The post — now deleted — read, “Cancel Thanksgiving. Should have done this in 1621.” During her CNN interview, the gubernatorial candidate described the holiday as a “time that’s incredibly painful for many people in our communities.” Though she added that “views can evolve.”

Here is here initial statement:

Collins: Do you still believe that Thanksgiving should be canceled?

Hong: I'm a chef, and one of the first meals that I made was for the community when I was 16 was a Thanksgiving meal. But Thanksgiving is also a time that's incredibly painful for many people in our communities.… pic.twitter.com/Kd5kBZMxZS

— Acyn (@Acyn) August 4, 2026

Hong has been the subject of significant social media scrutiny since her candidacy began fueling national headlines:

Francesca Hong describes having a half white son as "being in proximity to whiteness." pic.twitter.com/Ix0j0nisnF

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) August 3, 2026

Wisconsin Democratic socialist Francesca Hong — who tweeted in 2020 that "police exist to uphold white supremacy" and called for defunding police as a "first step" — now says she's "serious about public safety" and won't abolish law enforcement.

Hong, a leading Democratic… pic.twitter.com/6UpcOCCw5f

— Fox News Politics (@foxnewspolitics) August 5, 2026

FLASHBACK: Francesca Hong said “It’s about f*cking time we 86 Trump.” pic.twitter.com/9GIocAQ8g2

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) August 4, 2026

The Democrat nominee for governor of Wisconsin said that Thanksgiving should be canceled because it’s racist. Asked if she still believes Thanksgiving should be canceled, Hong delivers a total word salad without any answer to the question. pic.twitter.com/57u4c5wRZ5

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) August 4, 2026

She was also pressed on her far-left record during an appearance on Fox News:

Fox News’ Dana Perino questioned whether there was anything Hong disagreed with regarding the DSA platform, to which she responded that abolishing the Senate is “nonsensical and non-practical at this time.” She also rejected their platform of getting rid of the Supreme Court, citing a belief in checks and balances.

Perino then asked directly whether Hong was personally a dues-paying member of the socialist organization.

“In my home chapter in Madison, I have been since 2020,” Hong confirmed, describing herself as a “democratic socialist,” “a good single mom” and a “service industry worker.”

However, Perino pressed Hong on past social media posts where she repeatedly called for police abolition, asking: “Why shouldn’t people take you at your word when you say that you want to defund the police and go towards abolishing it?”

Hong said her views had evolved, replying, “I believe that people can evolve. We meet Trump voters from previous elections who now would like to vote for me.”

“So who needs to evolve, the voter or you?” Perino asked. Hong then rejected her previous position, noting that the governor of Wisconsin would be unable to defund the police, and promising that if elected she “won’t defund the police.”

Here’s her recent comments about the Thanksgiving post:

Democratic socialist Francesca Hong addressed her "cancel Thanksgiving" tweet – joking to our @iriesentner that the holiday is actually her favorite.

Here’s what she said👇 pic.twitter.com/tWL92k1IKM

— POLITICO (@politico) August 5, 2026