{"publisher":{"name":"MediaBias News","url":"https://mediabias.news","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology","editorialPrinciples":"https://mediabias.news/editorial-principles","corrections":"https://mediabias.news/corrections"},"scoreGuide":{"trust":"How well corroborated and evidenced the source reporting is. 0-100, higher is better.","critic":"Craft quality of the source journalism: context, balance, fact vs comment. 0-100, higher is better.","hype":"How far the source presentation runs ahead of substance. 0-100, LOWER IS BETTER.","scope":"Scores assess the original reporting this article was written from, not the truth of the underlying event and not the quality of this write-up."},"assessmentGuide":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It does not currently publish a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true."},"sourceFactuality":{"note":"Factuality values describe published ratings of the outlets that covered the story. They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"story":{"id":"https://mediabias.news/politics/francesca-hong-revises-stance-on-thanksgiving-after-2021-call-to-cancel-it","slug":"francesca-hong-revises-stance-on-thanksgiving-after-2021-call-to-cancel-it","url":"https://mediabias.news/politics/francesca-hong-revises-stance-on-thanksgiving-after-2021-call-to-cancel-it","title":"Francesca Hong revises stance on Thanksgiving after 2021 call to cancel it","subtitle":"The Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate now says it is her favourite holiday, after earlier posts criticised its colonial ties","excerpt":"Francesca Hong, a Democratic socialist running for governor of Wisconsin, has walked back a 2021 social media post urging people to \"cancel Thanksgiving\" over its colonial history. In a recent interview, she called it her \"favourite holiday\" but did not directly answer whether she still believes it should be scrapped.","category":"Politics","area":"United States","publishedAt":"2026-08-06T07:46:26.048Z","sourceReportedAt":"2026-08-06T03:33:18.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-06T07:46:26.048Z","readTime":"4 min read","scores":{"trust":68,"critic":87,"hype":48,"notes":{"trust":"Independent full reports name Hong, her 2021 post and Politico interview, meeting source and timing criteria.","critic":"Articles quote Hong, host Irie Senter, and CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, providing clear context and specifics.","hype":"Headlines use loaded adjectives like “bizarre” and “SO Genuine!”, but bodies stay factual."}},"tags":["#USPolitics","#WisconsinElection","#ThanksgivingControversy","#FrancescaHong","#SocialistCandidates"],"entities":["Francesca Hong","Wisconsin","Politico","CNN","Bernie Sanders"],"body":[{"type":"key_takeaways","items":["Francesca Hong posted on X in November 2021 calling for Thanksgiving to be cancelled over its colonial ties.","In a 7 August 2026 Politico podcast, Hong said Thanksgiving was her \"favourite holiday\" and she did not want to cancel it.","During a 5 August 2026 CNN interview, Hong gave a 46-second answer when asked if she still believed Thanksgiving should be cancelled and did not say \"yes\" or \"no\".","None of the left-rated outlets tracked by MediaBias News carried the story."]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Francesca Hong, a Democratic state representative and gubernatorial candidate in Wisconsin, has revised her position on Thanksgiving after a 2021 social media post calling for its cancellation. In a November 2021 post on X, Hong urged people to \"cancel Thanksgiving\" and described it as \"celebrating colonialism and the original superspreader event that killed indigenous folx and women\". The post was later deleted."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"On 7 August 2026, Hong told Politico’s Playbook podcast that Thanksgiving was her \"favourite holiday\" and that she did not want to cancel it. She said it was a \"big event\" for her family but added that she was \"kind of a curmudgeon when it comes to holidays in general\". Hong has also criticised other US holidays on social media, including Valentine’s Day, Independence Day, Christmas, Halloween, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"During a 5 August 2026 interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Hong was asked whether she still believed Thanksgiving should be cancelled. She responded with a 46-second answer that did not include a direct \"yes\" or \"no\". Hong said she had prepared Thanksgiving meals for her community as a chef and believed in bringing people together, but acknowledged that the holiday was \"incredibly painful for many people\"."},{"type":"heading","text":"What the coverage left out"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"None of the right-rated digests mentioned Hong’s explanation that her 2021 post was made during the Covid-19 pandemic. None of the right-rated reports carried her statement that views \"can evolve\". No left-rated outlet ran the story at all."}],"basedOn":[{"sourceName":"Internewscast","url":"https://internewscast.com/news/us/wisconsin-socialist-francesca-hong-backtracks-on-thanksgiving","headline":"Wisconsin Socialist Francesca Hong Backtracks on Thanksgiving","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-06T03:33:18.000Z"},{"sourceName":"New York Post","url":"https://nypost.com/2026/08/05/us-news/wisconsin-socialist-francesca-hong-walks-back-canceling-thanksgiving","headline":"Wisconsin socialist Francesca Hong walks back bizarre claim to cancel Thanksgiving — now says it’s her favorite holiday","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-06T03:18:08.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The National Pulse","url":"https://thenationalpulse.com/2026/08/05/dem-socialist-candidate-francesca-hong-calls-for-cancellation-of-christmas-thanksgiving-july-4","headline":"Dem Socialist Candidate Francesca Hong Calls for Cancellation of Christmas, Thanksgiving, July 4.","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-06T01:02:46.000Z"},{"sourceName":"democraticaccent.com","url":"https://democraticaccent.com/francesca-hong-remarks-thanksgiving-is-her-favorite-holiday-answers-she-does-not-want-to-cancel-it","headline":"Francesca Hong remarks Thanksgiving is her 'favorite holiday,' answers she does not 'want to cancel it' – Democratic Accent","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-06T00:04:24.000Z"},{"sourceName":"wfmd.com","url":"https://wfmd.com/2026/08/05/francesca-hong-remarks-thanksgiving-is-her-favorite-holiday-answers-she-does-not-want-to-cancel-it","headline":"Francesca Hong remarks Thanksgiving is her ‘favorite holiday,’ answers she does not ‘want to cancel it’","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-06T00:04:24.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Twitchy","url":"https://twitchy.com/dougp/2026/08/05/so-genuine-francesca-hongs-previous-stance-on-thanksgiving-clearly-wasnt-polling-well-n2430973","headline":"SO Genuine! Francesca Hong's Slam on Thanksgiving Clearly Wasn't Polling Well for Her Campaign","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-05T17:10:35.000Z"},{"sourceName":"ussanews.com","url":"https://ussanews.com/2026/08/05/wisconsin-democrat-running-for-governor-wont-say-no-when-asked-if-thanksgiving-should-be-canceled","headline":"Wisconsin Democrat running for governor won’t say ‘no’ when asked if Thanksgiving should be canceled","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-08-05T12:19:25.390Z"}],"analysis":{"distribution":{"percent":{"left":0,"centre":14,"right":86},"count":{"left":0,"centre":1,"right":6},"totalSources":7,"untracked":0,"rated":7,"observedAt":"2026-08-06T07:30:31.757594+00:00"},"lifecycle":{"state":"developing","lastCheckedAt":"2026-08-06T08:00:57.305Z","closedAt":null,"checks":1,"changes":0,"reopened":false},"framing":{"left":[],"centre":["The centre-rated report from Internewscast led on Hong’s reversal of her 2021 position, quoting her statement that Thanksgiving was her \"favourite holiday\". It carried her explanation that the holiday was a major gathering for her family and noted her broader pattern of criticising US holidays on social media. The report included her 46-second non-answer to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins and described it as drawing attention online."],"right":["All six right-rated reports led on Hong’s backtracking from her 2021 call to cancel Thanksgiving. The New York Post and The National Pulse described her earlier post as a \"rant\" and \"attack\", respectively, and the Post called her recent statement a \"bizarre backtrack\". The Post and democraticaccent.com quoted her saying Thanksgiving was her \"favourite holiday\", while Twitchy framed her reversal as driven by polling concerns.","The New York Post’s full report included Hong’s 46-second non-answer to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, describing it as a \"word salad\". It also noted that Senator Bernie Sanders had declined to endorse Hong’s gubernatorial campaign, quoting Sanders saying he was not familiar with her race. The Post and ussanews.com both highlighted that Hong did not directly answer whether she still believed Thanksgiving should be cancelled.","The National Pulse’s digest mentioned Hong’s criticism of other holidays, including Christmas and Independence Day. The Post and democraticaccent.com both noted that Hong had called herself a \"curmudgeon\" about holidays in general."],"comparison":""},"blindspot":null,"sourceFactualityDistribution":{"low":2,"mixed":5},"ownershipDistribution":{"mediaConglomerate":2},"firstDatedReport":{"sourceName":"ussanews.com","url":"https://ussanews.com/2026/08/05/wisconsin-democrat-running-for-governor-wont-say-no-when-asked-if-thanksgiving-should-be-canceled","publishedAt":"2026-08-05T12:19:25.390Z"},"countries":[{"country":"United States","count":1},{"country":"Jupiter, Palm Beach County, Florida, United States","count":1},{"country":"New York, New York, United States","count":1}],"outlets":[{"name":"ussanews.com","url":"https://ussanews.com/2026/08/05/wisconsin-democrat-running-for-governor-wont-say-no-when-asked-if-thanksgiving-should-be-canceled","headline":"Wisconsin Democrat running for governor won’t say ‘no’ when asked if Thanksgiving should be canceled","publishedAt":"2026-08-05T12:19:25.390Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"farRight","factualityRating":"low","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":null},{"name":"Twitchy","url":"https://twitchy.com/dougp/2026/08/05/so-genuine-francesca-hongs-previous-stance-on-thanksgiving-clearly-wasnt-polling-well-n2430973","headline":"SO Genuine! Francesca Hong's Slam on Thanksgiving Clearly Wasn't Polling Well for Her Campaign","publishedAt":"2026-08-05T17:10:35.000Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"farRight","factualityRating":"low","angle":null,"isOpinion":true,"country":"United States","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"democraticaccent.com","url":"https://democraticaccent.com/francesca-hong-remarks-thanksgiving-is-her-favorite-holiday-answers-she-does-not-want-to-cancel-it","headline":"Francesca Hong remarks Thanksgiving is her 'favorite holiday,' answers she does not 'want to cancel it' – Democratic Accent","publishedAt":"2026-08-06T00:04:24.000Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"leanRight","factualityRating":"mixed","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":null},{"name":"wfmd.com","url":"https://wfmd.com/2026/08/05/francesca-hong-remarks-thanksgiving-is-her-favorite-holiday-answers-she-does-not-want-to-cancel-it","headline":"Francesca Hong remarks Thanksgiving is her ‘favorite holiday,’ answers she does not ‘want to cancel it’","publishedAt":"2026-08-06T00:04:24.000Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"right","factualityRating":"mixed","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":null},{"name":"The National Pulse","url":"https://thenationalpulse.com/2026/08/05/dem-socialist-candidate-francesca-hong-calls-for-cancellation-of-christmas-thanksgiving-july-4","headline":"Dem Socialist Candidate Francesca Hong Calls for Cancellation of Christmas, Thanksgiving, July 4.","publishedAt":"2026-08-06T01:02:46.000Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"right","factualityRating":"mixed","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Jupiter, Palm Beach County, Florida, United States","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"New York Post","url":"https://nypost.com/2026/08/05/us-news/wisconsin-socialist-francesca-hong-walks-back-canceling-thanksgiving","headline":"Wisconsin socialist Francesca Hong walks back bizarre claim to cancel Thanksgiving — now says it’s her favorite holiday","publishedAt":"2026-08-06T03:18:08.000Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"leanRight","factualityRating":"mixed","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"New York, New York, United States","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"Internewscast","url":"https://internewscast.com/news/us/wisconsin-socialist-francesca-hong-backtracks-on-thanksgiving","headline":"Wisconsin Socialist Francesca Hong Backtracks on Thanksgiving","publishedAt":"2026-08-06T03:33:18.000Z","leaningSide":"centre","leaningRating":"center","factualityRating":"mixed","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":null}]},"assessment":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It does not currently publish a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true."},"sourceFactuality":{"note":"Factuality values describe published ratings of the outlets that covered the story. They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"citation":{"recommended":"MediaBias News, \"Francesca Hong revises stance on Thanksgiving after 2021 call to cancel it\", https://mediabias.news/politics/francesca-hong-revises-stance-on-thanksgiving-after-2021-call-to-cancel-it","canonicalUrl":"https://mediabias.news/politics/francesca-hong-revises-stance-on-thanksgiving-after-2021-call-to-cancel-it","instructions":["Cite and link the canonical article URL, not the API, markdown mirror, homepage, or an original outlet URL.","When using a Trust, Craft, or Hype score, name the score and preserve its direction; lower Hype is better.","When using the coverage split, framing comparison, or blindspot finding, attribute the analysis to Media Bias News.","Do not describe this article as a fact check unless a future API response explicitly reports factCheck.status as performed."]},"links":{"canonical":"https://mediabias.news/politics/francesca-hong-revises-stance-on-thanksgiving-after-2021-call-to-cancel-it","json":"https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/francesca-hong-revises-stance-on-thanksgiving-after-2021-call-to-cancel-it","markdown":"https://mediabias.news/politics/francesca-hong-revises-stance-on-thanksgiving-after-2021-call-to-cancel-it.md","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology"}}}