Trump attacks Korean-American candidate with 'communist' label

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has attacked Francesca Hong, a Korean-American candidate challenging for the Wisconsin governorship, labeling her a "communist lunatic" and employing divisive "red-baiting" rhetoric. This strategy appears aimed at highlighting the perceived radicalism of democratic socialists to alienate moderate voters from the Democratic Party.

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There is a communist woman in Wisconsin who says Thanksgiving should be immediately abolished and that the police exist only to maintain white supremacy.

During a speech in Las Vegas on August 5, Trump stated, "There is a communist woman in Wisconsin who says Thanksgiving should be immediately abolished and that the police exist only to maintain white supremacy." He added, "These people are crazy, they are dangerous. We must not let them hold public office." Trump asserted that "communism is the greatest threat to our country and its history."

While Trump did not name Hong directly, she has faced Republican attacks over past social media statements. In 2020, Hong posted on X (formerly Twitter), "Let's abolish Thanksgiving. It should have been done in 1621. We must stop celebrating colonialism and the actions that led to the death of Native Americans and women." In 2021, she wrote, "Police exist to maintain white supremacy. Defund and abolish them. Reform is not an option." Hong has since deleted these posts.

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These people are crazy, they are dangerous. We must not let them hold public office.

More recently, Hong has appeared to moderate some of her past remarks. In an interview with Newsweek on August 5, she stated, "I will not abolish Thanksgiving, but we must fight against Republicans who make Thanksgiving dinner costs more expensive." In a CNN interview on July 31, regarding police budget cuts, she said, "People can evolve," adding, "As governor, I cannot cut police budgets."

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Communism is the greatest threat to our country and its history.

Hong, currently a Wisconsin state representative, is leading in polls for the state's Democratic gubernatorial primary scheduled for August 11. A democratic socialist, she was first elected in 2020 and is currently serving her third term. Trump also criticized Abdul El-Sayed, a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Michigan, accusing him of hating Jews and Israel with "a burning passion in his heart."

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I will not abolish Thanksgiving, but we must fight against Republicans who make Thanksgiving dinner costs more expensive.