Comedian Bill Maher has criticized what he describes as a trend among Democrats to view "whiteness" as a negative, specifically targeting Francesca Hong, a candidate for Wisconsin governor. Maher, during his show "Real Time," derided Hong's past comments about her mixed-race son being in "proximity to whiteness."
In a 2021 interview, Hong, who is Asian, discussed her biracial son with her white ex-husband. "My proximity to whiteness continues, right? My son is biracial. He is half white and half Korean," Hong said. "And I think navigating, you know, what his identity is and how people perceive him is always at the back of my mind."
Maher argued that "whiteness is not a disease" and that this line of discussion is a "big flaw" for the Democratic party. He suggested that Democrats should not view white people as inherently worse.
Maher also referenced a now-deleted 2020 social media post in which Hong expressed a desire to "cancel" Thanksgiving. "Democrats have found a candidate who hates Thanksgiving and wants to get rid of it," Maher stated. "Running for governor in Wisconsin, Francesca Hong. Have you heard about this? Yeah, Thanksgiving, she says, should be canceled."
Hong, who has since stated she "loves" Thanksgiving, has faced backlash for her earlier remarks. Maher called her a "flip-flop" on the issue.
Hong, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and the Assembly's Socialist Caucus, was first elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2020. She is currently leading the Democratic race for governor with 44 percent support ahead of the August 11 primary election, according to a poll from State Navigate. Former State Representative David Crowley trails with 22 percent, and State Senator Kelda Roll has 11 percent.
On the Republican side, Tom Tiffany leads the GOP nomination race with 67 percent support, according to Marquette Law School polling. Andy Manske has 2 percent support.
Wisconsin's current governor, Tony Evers, is not seeking re-election.
Hong, the daughter of South Korean immigrants, settled in Madison, Wisconsin, with her parents in 1987. She attended Madison West High School and later pursued a career in the culinary arts. After dropping out of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, she became an executive chef at 23. In 2016, she opened Morris Ramen with her husband, chef Matt Morris. The restaurant closed in 2024.
Hong has described the restaurant industry as a place where she found belonging and community, a sentiment she has linked to her defense of Thanksgiving traditions.