High-stakes Wisconsin primary tests socialist surge as establishment Democrats scramble
Former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker breaks down the high-stakes Democratic primary in Wisconsin as establishment candidates battle DSA-backed Francesca Hong. Walker and host Harris Faulkner analyze Hong’s progressive policies, including her controversial ‘cancel Thanksgiving’ post, and examine New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s recent attempts to distance her party from radical ‘woke’ stances.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A socialist candidate for governor in Wisconsin with an extensive history of inflammatory online posts once described America as “an abundance of suffering,” Fox News Digital has found.
“I want this country to stop being an abundance of suffering but a wealth of opportunity,” reads a Jan. 20, 2022 X post from Wisconsin state Rep. Francesca Hong, who is running in the Democratic Party’s primary election to become the state’s top official.
“We can do this by providing equal rights to Black and Brown folks,” the post continues. “Elect more Black and Brown folks who won’t be racist obstructionists. We can all be better and do so much more.”
Wisconsin Gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong waves as she acknowledges the crowd during a campaign rally on August 2, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Joshua Lott/Getty Images)
SOCIALIST FRONTRUNNER IN THE HOT SEAT AFTER ‘CANCEL THANKSGIVING’ POST EMERGES ONLINE
This isn’t the first time the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) candidate has faced scrutiny for past comments on social media that are especially critical of America and its institutions and ideals.
“Cancel Thanksgiving. Should have done this in 1621,” Hong wrote in a now-deleted post on X.
“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,” she added, referring to the spread of smallpox that killed many indigenous Americans.
Despite a string of posts, the former chef and mother-of-one, is now running for the Democratic nomination for governor in Wisconsin. She’s the latest in a strong of socialists seeking statewide or federal office in this year’s primary against establishment Democrats.
Hong, who is Korean America, also said in a 2019 post that she was anxious in the company of White people.
“I ate two bites of my kid’s cheeseburger at a Culver’s in black river falls and told him they ran out of ice cream,” that post said. “Mostly just wanted to leave bc I was on the verge of a anxiety attack…to (sic) many old white people who didn’t think we spoke english.”
When prosecutors declined to press charges in 2021 for the high-profile shooting of Jacob Blake in August 2020, in Kenosha, Wisc., Hong joined the chorus of left-wing voicing calling to abolish police.
“How is 7 bullets in the back not excessive force,” she said at the time. “Police exist to uphold White supremacy. Defund then abolish. Reform can’t be an option. My heart breaks for the trauma the Blake family and their community continues to endure.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) (L) and influencer and left-wing political commentator Hasan Piker (C) stand with Wisconsin Gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong during a campaign rally for Hong on August 2, 2026 (Joshua Lott/Getty Images)
TOP WISCONSIN DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST CANDIDATE CONFRONTED ON PAST ‘DEFUND POLICE’ RHETORIC
Hong’s team declined in July to walk back her position on police.
“Rep. Hong has spoken in the past about police and prison abolition as an aspirational goal, akin to eradicating disease or eliminating poverty,” a spokesperson told Fox News Digital at the time. “Her values haven’t changed, but the way she talks about this issue has.”
Hong has acknowledged that the governor does not have the power to defund the police.
The candidate brushed off the scrutiny of her posts when asked about them by Fox News Digital ahead of her primary election on Tuesday, saying she wanted to be a sports journalist in college.
“I learned then you have some hot takes, and sometimes bad takes on Twitter, and I let my feelings out into the world,” Hong said.
Governor candidate Francesca Hong speaks on stage during the Wisconsin Democrats 2026 Convention on June 14, 2026, in Madison, Wis. (Getty Images for WisDems)
FRANCESCA HONG ASKED ABOUT LACK OF AOC ENDORSEMENT AND THE HOUSE DEM’S REMARK ABOUT THE ‘WOKE 1’ ERA
She said she was focused on issues voters are concerned about.
Hong’s campaign did not return a request for comment on the latest post uncovered by Fox News Digital.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News’ CJ Womack and Paul Steinhouser contributed to this report.
