Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong stated on Wednesday that Thanksgiving is her "favorite holiday" and that she has no intention of canceling it, seeking to clarify past controversial remarks.
Hong, a Democratic socialist, told Politico Playbook that she "actually love[s]" Thanksgiving and that it is a significant event for her family. Her comments come after facing backlash for a now-deleted post from November 2020 on X, formerly Twitter, in which she appeared to draw parallels between the pandemic and the holiday.
In the 2020 post, Hong wrote, "Cancel Thanksgiving. Should have done this in 1621." She added, "If it takes a worldwide pandemic for us to realize we should stop celebrating colonialism and the original superspreader event that killed indigenous folx [sic] and women, so be it," referencing the historical impact of European diseases on Indigenous populations.
Her campaign previously issued a statement to Fox News Digital asserting that she did not want to "cancel" Thanksgiving. However, when asked directly on CNN if she still believed Thanksgiving should be canceled, Hong hesitated before responding.
"I’m a chef, and one of the first meals that I made that was for the community when I was 16 [years old] was a Thanksgiving meal," Hong said on CNN. "I always think my hospitality background in owning a restaurant for seven, eight years, that bringing folks around the table to share conversation and build community is always a good thing."
She also acknowledged the holiday's sensitive nature for some, stating, "But Thanksgiving is also a time that’s incredibly painful for many people in our communities. And so I think there, I wanted to make sure that people understood that there are multiple views, but views can evolve." Hong concluded by suggesting her background as a chef and restaurateur would aid her in governing, enabling her to "bring more people to the table."
Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Tiffany criticized Hong's earlier statements, accusing her and other progressive candidates of aiming to "destroy" American culture. He argued that her past comments, including calling Thanksgiving "incredibly painful," contradict her current stance.
"This goes far beyond Thanksgiving. It's part of the broader socialist message that seeks to tear down the traditions, institutions, and values that bring Americans together," Tiffany said in comments to Fox News Digital. "Whether it's Thanksgiving, Christmas, Culver's, the police, or even Valentine's Day, Francesca Hong has spent her entire political career criticizing the very fabric of Wisconsin and the traditions that bring our communities together."