Why does a leading Democrat want to cancel Thanksgiving?

**Lewis Goodall** (0:02)
This is a Global Production.
Democratic Socialism in America and within the Democratic Party has undoubtedly been having a real moment, especially after as well, the victory of course of Zahra Mamdani in New York. And what the Democratic Party has done, all these group of people like Mamdani, as you say, are kind of injecting it with a sense of humor and lightness of touch. And I think it's having a profound effect. It's also deeply Trumpian, right? It's how Trump did politics, does politics, has reshaped politics in the content age, right? What the fuck's just happened to his hair? Where's all that come from overnight?

**Jon Sopel** (0:38)
You know, you've talked about your past positions that he keeps highlighting and, you know, obviously likely would continue to do so before November should you win. One thing that they brought up as well was a post from you in 2021, where you said Americans should cancel Thanksgiving, should have done this in 1621
The post has been deleted, Republicans have been highlighting it. Do you still believe that Thanksgiving should be canceled?

**Francesca Hong** (1:07)
I'm a chef and one of the first meals that I made that was for the community when I was 16 was a Thanksgiving meal. You know, 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. 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, but views can evolve. And the position that I'm running for right now, and 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.

**Lewis Goodall** (1:53)
That is Francesca Hong, who has quickly become a favorite for the Democratic governor's primary, which will take place on Tuesday. She is having to backtrack from comments she made in 2020, where she said, among other things, that Thanksgiving should be canceled in America because it was an original super spreader event which spread European diseases and decimated Native American Indian communities. Yes, whether she wins in Wisconsin or not remains to be seen. But what it seems to signify is that maybe the Democratic Party is having its own MAGA moment. Is it going to become blue MAGA against red?
Welcome to The News Agents.
It's Jon, it's Lewis. And what's happening in America is fascinating because 10 years ago, when Bernie Sanders was kind of marauding the country and packing stadiums out, there was Bernie Sanders. And there wasn't many others who, you could say, represented that left-wing strand of Democratic opinion. It was him versus the establishment, one man against Hillary Clinton. You look at America today and you see that the Democratic Party has got a whole bunch of people emerging into prominent positions who represent that strand of Democratic Socialism, which is kind of almost a taboo word at one stage to have used in American politics who are now vying for office. And whether people like the woman we've just heard from in Wisconsin win the Democratic nomination for governor in Wisconsin or others, that are also playing prominent roles, whether they win in November, will have a huge bearing on what the Democratic Party looks like in 2028 for who it selects as its candidate to be the presidential nominee. Yeah, this is obviously all coming against the backdrop of the midterms, which will be coming in November and will be here before we know it. The Democratic Party is finishing off, just like the Republicans have been, their round of primary contest, select their candidates for the upcoming elections.
One of the notable things about this primary season has been the rise. It's a qualified rise, which we can talk about. But it's undoubtedly been the rise in the influence of an organization we might end up hearing a lot about. In fact, it's already being talked about a lot in American politics, which is the Democratic Socialists of America. This is a DSA. It's actually a very old organization, well, quite old organization. It's founded in the early 1980s, it's basically been a pretty moribund, very, very small obscure force within American politics and Democratic politics up until, as you say, John Bernie Sanders in 2016 But Sanders was at the time considered a deeply eccentric figure. He wasn't even a Democrat. He was an independent who caucused with the Democrats. Without doubt, he moved the Democratic Party to the left. But since then and since his success, and particularly since the fall of Biden administration and the failure of Kamala Harris in 2024, Democratic Socialism in America and within the Democratic Party has undoubtedly been having a real moment, especially after as well the victory of course of Zahra Mamdani in New York in that mayoral contest. You have seen group of people, obviously had AOC, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but you've seen in pockets across America, primary contest which have unexpectedly been won by either candidates which are directly associated with the DSA, or candidates which are DSA adjacent. The one which got a lot of attention of course over the course of the last week, is a victory in Michigan in the Senate primary there of Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, against a candidate who had been backed by the Democratic Party establishment, Hailey Stevens, to the absolute hilt. Now, it was a narrow victory, but it was a deeply striking victory because El-Sayed is, although he's actually not formally affiliated with the DSA, he's undoubtedly on the deep progressive left and is not likely the sort of candidate that would have triumphed in a state like Michigan, even with the Democratic Party electorate, primary electorate in Michigan. So there is no doubt that there is an energy and a force in progressive left-wing politics in America, which is really having a moment. There's something that I think is worth just drawing a comparison with, which is, you know, Bernie Sanders, when he kind of was going for the Democratic nomination for president in 2016, there was an awful lot of him that was like Jeremy Corbyn. I mean, he was earnest, some might say humorless, drab, serious-minded, and you know, I'm going to give you a lecture on the importance of politics, and you know, it would be barked at you. It wouldn't be cajoled, there would be no humor, there would be no laughter. And what the Democratic Party has done, or these group of people, like Mamdani, as you say, who we've heard something of, are kind of injecting it with a sense of humor and lightness of touch, and I think it's having a profound effect. And you just, you know, if we just listen to some of what was said by Abdul El-Sayed, who has won the Democratic nomination, as you say, for the Senate seat in Michigan, and that should be a winnable seat for the Democrats. It's a must win. It's a must win if they want to take the Senate back.