Democratic socialist and Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong stated on Wednesday, August 6th, 2026, that Thanksgiving is her "favorite holiday" and that she has no interest in canceling it despite controversy over past social media posts.

Hong told Politico Playbook, which noted on X that she was "joking," "Yep, I don't want to cancel it. I actually love it." She explained that Thanksgiving is a "big event" for her family and their in-laws.

The remarks come after Hong faced backlash for a now-deleted post from November 2020 on X, where she appeared to draw comparisons between the deadly pandemic and the Thanksgiving holiday, writing, "Should have done this in 1621," according to Fox News Digital’s previous reporting.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Hong's campaign clarified, "No, she does not want to 'cancel' Thanksgiving." However, Hong hesitated to give a direct answer when asked on CNN if she still believes Thanksgiving should be canceled.

Hong also shared a personal connection to the holiday, saying, "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."

Sources