Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong sidestepped questions on her past calls to cancel Thanksgiving, saying, “views can evolve.”
“I’m a chef, and one of the first meals that I made for the community when I was 16 was a Thanksgiving meal,” Hong said on CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins on Monday. “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.”
Hong’s comments came after host Kaitlan Collins asked her about a 2020 tweet in which she wrote, “cancel Thanksgiving. Should have done this in 1621. If it takes a worldwide pandemic for us to realize we should stop celebrating colonialism and the original superspreader event that killed indigenous folx and women, so be it.”
While pointing to her career in hospitality and her experience bringing people together over food, Hong also acknowledged that the holiday remains a difficult one for some Americans, particularly Indigenous communities and others who may associate Thanksgiving with historical injustices.
“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,” she said.
Hong stopped short of reaffirming her previous comments, instead emphasizing that her thinking has changed over time, adding that the leadership skills she developed in the restaurant industry would shape her approach if elected governor.
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Hong pointed to her bid for Wisconsin governor, while leaning on her background as a chef to sell voters on unity over the holiday table.
“The position that I’m running for right now, I think my background as a chef will actually help me become a better governor that’s able to bring more people to the table,” Hong said.