Francesca Hong Avoids Answer on Thanksgiving Cancelation

Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong declined to give a direct answer when asked on CNN Monday night whether she still believes Thanksgiving should be canceled, a position she advocated in a now-deleted social media post. The exchange highlighted the challenges Hong faces as she seeks to broaden her appeal ahead of the state’s August 11 primary, where she is considered the frontrunner.

During an interview on “The Source with Kaitlan Collins,” the state representative was confronted with her 2020 post that read, “Cancel Thanksgiving. Should have done this in 1621.” In the post, she had called the holiday a celebration of colonialism and “the original superspreader event.” When Collins asked if she still held that view, Hong did not offer a yes or no. Instead, she spoke for 46 seconds about her background as a chef and restaurant owner, saying bringing people around a table to build community is “always a good thing.” She then added, “But Thanksgiving is also a time that’s incredibly painful for many people in our communities.” She concluded by stating, “I wanted to make sure people understood there are multiple views, but views can evolve.”