“God was watching over us tonight.”
That’s how Wisconsin Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Tiffany described surviving a plane crash Saturday night that ended with him swimming out of a sinking aircraft in Lake Wausau.
<div id="attachment_1177349" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1177349" class="wp-image-1177349 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/Bluegill-Bay-County-Park_D984BF45-5056-A36A-08B2A4B17E38EF36-d984be3a5056a36_d984c5c4-5056-a36a-08a910e9ce9c65ff.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="768" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/Bluegill-Bay-County-Park_D984BF45-5056-A36A-08B2A4B17E38EF36-d984be3a5056a36_d984c5c4-5056-a36a-08a910e9ce9c65ff.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/Bluegill-Bay-County-Park_D984BF45-5056-A36A-08B2A4B17E38EF36-d984be3a5056a36_d984c5c4-5056-a36a-08a910e9ce9c65ff-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/09/Bluegill-Bay-County-Park_D984BF45-5056-A36A-08B2A4B17E38EF36-d984be3a5056a36_d984c5c4-5056-a36a-08a910e9ce9c65ff-768x576.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />VisitWausau.com</div>
Tiffany was heading home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner when the plane he was traveling in lost power as it approached Wausau Downtown Airport.
The pilot was forced to make an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau.
Tiffany said they called 911 after landing, but soon had to get out of the aircraft as it began sinking.
“As the plane began to submerge, we exited the aircraft and swam to a shallow area, where we waited until emergency responders reached us by boat,” Tiffany said.
Making the ordeal even more harrowing, temperatures in Wausau were already in the low 60s Saturday night and were expected to plunge into the upper 40s overnight.
The two waited in the water until emergency responders arrived by boat. Both Tiffany and the pilot escaped with only minor injuries and were taken to Aspirus Wausau Hospital.
Tiffany thanked the pilot, the Wausau Fire Department, and all of the first responders who rushed to their aid.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to the pilot, the Wausau Fire Department, and all of the first responders who came to our aid so quickly. They got us safely off the water and transported us to Aspirus Wausau Hospital, where we received excellent care. Thankfully, both the pilot and I sustained only minor injuries,” Tiffany said.
“God was watching over us tonight, and I am incredibly grateful to be here in the hospital with my wife, Chris, by my side. An experience like this reminds you just how precious life is.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
While returning home from the La Crosse County Lincoln Day Dinner tonight, the plane I was traveling in lost power as we approached the Wausau Downtown Airport. The pilot made an emergency water landing in Lake Wausau.
After landing, we called 911. As the plane began to…
— Tom Tiffany (@TomTiffanyWI) <a href="https://x.com/TomTiffanyWI/status/2099000759450837456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The crash comes less than two months before Tiffany is set to face voters in Wisconsin’s governor’s race.
Tiffany has represented Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District in the House since 2020 after previously serving in both chambers of the Wisconsin Legislature. He grew up on a dairy farm in western Wisconsin and later became a small-business owner, operating a Northwoods excursion business with his wife, Chris.
Tiffany is now the Republican nominee for governor and will face Democratic Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley in November. President Donald Trump has endorsed Tiffany in the race.
Crowley responded to the crash by saying he was relieved Tiffany and the pilot were safe and wished them a speedy recovery.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I’m grateful to God that Congressman Tiffany and no one else was hurt in this horrifying incident, which could have been a tragedy if not for the heroism of the pilot.
I wish them and the Congressman a quick recovery and that they can find solace with their loved ones. <a href="https://t.co/WUcbFU8FY0">https://t.co/WUcbFU8FY0</a>
— David Crowley (@DavidCCrowley) <a href="https://x.com/DavidCCrowley/status/2099013085470380290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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US-POLITICS-VANCE

Battleground GOP Candidate Survives Overnight Plane Crash Over Lake

2026 midterm election

david crowley

plane crash

politics

tom tiffany

wisconsin

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley pulled off a stunning upset Tuesday in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, defeating socialist frontrunner Francesca Hong after polls showed him trailing by double digits just days before the election.
Decision Desk Headquarters called the race early Wednesday morning for Crowley, who reentered the contest only weeks before the primary and earned the backing of outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. With nearly all votes in, Crowley leads his socialist rival by a little over 3,000 votes. 
Hong, a dues-paying member of the Democratic Socialists of America, significantly underperformed in white working-class parts of the state and failed to generate the margins she needed in deep-blue college towns like Madison.
It’s a narrow but significant victory for the establishment, which pulled off an 11th-hour campaign to stop Hong and ensure the party’s rebellious socialist summer surge hit a brick wall in the industrial battleground of Wisconsin. In the final stretch of the campaign, Crowley seized on Hong’s high-profile stumbles and rejected the establishment label as a racial slur.
“I&#8217;m trying to figure out who the establishment is, right? I think that when we talk about the establishment, I don&#8217;t know who that is. I&#8217;m a kid that grew up in 53206 zip code. My parents was drug addicts and suffered from mental health,” he <a href="http://Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley pulled off a stunning upset Tuesday in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, defeating socialist frontrunner Francesca Hong after polls showed him trailing by double digits just days before the election. Decision Desk Headquarters called the race early Wednesday morning for Crowley, who reentered the contest only weeks before the primary and earned the backing of outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. With nearly all votes in, Crowley leads his socialist rival by a little over 3,000 votes.  Hong, a dues-paying member of the Democratic Socialists of America, significantly underperformed in white working-class parts of the state and failed to generate the margins she needed in deep-blue college towns like Madison. It’s a narrow but significant victory for the establishment, which pulled off an 11th-hour campaign to stop Hong and ensure the party’s rebellious socialist summer surge hit a brick wall in the industrial battleground of Wisconsin. In the final stretch of the campaign, Crowley seized on Hong’s high-profile stumbles and rejected the establishment label as a racial slur. “I'm trying to figure out who the establishment is, right? I think that when we talk about the establishment, I don't know who that is. I'm a kid that grew up in 53206 zip code. My parents was drug addicts and suffered from mental health,” he told reporters. “So when people try to call me the establishment, I look at that as a slur, particularly as an African American candidate.”  “That's my foundation. That's what I'm going to continue to do as a county executive, and what I'm going to do as the governor of Wisconsin,” he added.  His message resonated with enough voters to deliver a comeback that defied a flurry of pre-election polls showing Hong with a commanding double-digit lead over the rest of the Democratic field. One of the final polls before Election Day had Hong leading Crowley 44% to 22%.">told</a> reporters. “So when people try to call me the establishment, I look at that as a slur, particularly as an African American candidate.” 
“That&#8217;s my foundation. That&#8217;s what I&#8217;m going to continue to do as a county executive, and what I&#8217;m going to do as the governor of Wisconsin,” he added. 
He also ran on a message of electability, arguing that Hong was far too extreme to win statewide in a swing state where Republicans are already facing national political headwinds.
“The Republican Governors Association is bankrolling millions right now, not to attack a Democrat, but to boost one, because they’ve decided which Democratic nominee they can beat in November,” Crowley <a href="https://www.crowleyforwi.com/">said</a>, explaining his decision to get back into the race. “That is a five-alarm warning sign. We cannot let the GOP choose the Democratic nominee for governor of Wisconsin.&#8221;
But Crowley’s comeback was not without its own vulnerabilities, as scrutiny of his past complicated his standing with leftist voters. 
<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/wisconsin-democrat-david-crowley-dirt-mcgirk-twitter-rcna588646">NBC News</a> uncovered old social media posts linking Crowley to a pseudonymous X account called “Dirt McGirk,” which the outlet said featured racist, sexist, and homophobic posts between 2010 and 2014. Crowley insisted other people had access to the X burner account and condemned the posts.
Still, Hong&#8217;s high-profile stumbles in the homestretch appeared to decisively shift the race in Crowley&#8217;s favor, delivering a comeback that defied a flurry of pre-election polls showing Hong with a commanding double-digit lead over the rest of the Democratic field. One of the final polls before Election Day had Hong leading Crowley 44% to 22%.
Evers, who backed Crowley after he reentered the race, had openly warned that Hong would face difficulty defeating Republican nominee Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI).
&#8220;I think she&#8217;s in a tough place. She has spent her entire campaign dealing not with the issues, but what&#8217;s on the Twitter, and I just find that that&#8217;s not a good way to beat Tom Tiffany,&#8221; Evers said in the campaign&#8217;s homestretch. &#8220;It&#8217;s going to be tough&#8230;but I think she&#8217;s at a real disadvantage, especially since she spends a lot of time talking about Twitter.&#8221;
Hong, a 37-year-old state representative and part-time bartender, had ridden a wave of leftist enthusiasm to become the race&#8217;s surprise frontrunner, setting off a late scramble among establishment Democrats to stop her.
Former Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes dropped out of the Democratic primary in late July as Hong surged in the polls, appearing to concede at the time that her nomination was inevitable.
“Last night I had a very difficult conversation with staff,” Barnes <a href="https://x.com/TheOtherMandela/status/2082894497839468849">said in a social media video</a>. “We’re incredibly proud of all the things that we’ve accomplished and all the resources that we have raised to spread our message. But it’s become very clear who our nominee is going to be.”
But Crowley&#8217;s late return to the race ultimately gave Democrats an alternative to Hong, who generated national headlines over a series of old social media posts and leftist policy positions.
“Cancel Thanksgiving. Should have done this in 1621,” she said in a deleted 2020 social media post. “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.”
Hong has also criticized other major American holidays, saying she doesn&#8217;t like fireworks ahead of Independence Day, dismissing Halloween as &#8220;not my thing,&#8221; and claiming Valentine&#8217;s Day brings out &#8220;the worst of humanity&#8221; on a day when &#8220;capitalism tells you how to show love.&#8221;
Hong&#8217;s rise drew national attention but did not result in endorsements from two of the country&#8217;s most prominent Democratic socialists, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
Crowley will now face Tiffany, the Republican nominee, in November as both parties battle for control of the governor&#8217;s mansion after Evers decided not to seek another term.
Tiffany has centered his campaign on affordability and reducing the size and cost of state government.
“Let&#8217;s get control of our utility rates, which have been skyrocketing $2 billion plus in the last eight years. Let&#8217;s get control of the red tape and let&#8217;s also audit all of state government,” Tiffany <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2086575835759161785?s=20">said</a> on Fox News over the weekend. &#8220;It is one of the most popular issues amongst people that I&#8217;m talking to at this point. Boy, let&#8217;s root out the fraud and waste because we know what&#8217;s happening here in Wisconsin also.&#8221;

Wisconsin Gubernatorial Candidate David Crowley Holds Campaign Rally On Eve Of Primary Election

Socialist Frontrunner’s Stunning Collapse Hands Wisconsin Dems A November Lifeline

francesca hong

The socialist frontrunner in Wisconsin&#8217;s Democratic gubernatorial primary hired a self-described &#8220;sex worker&#8221; to run her campaign and voted against a law that bans grooming children.
State Rep. Francesca Hong, who held a 20-point advantage in the polls going into Tuesday&#8217;s primary, was one of just six Wisconsin lawmakers to vote against a measure that bars adults from &#8220;engaging in a course of conduct, pattern of behavior, or series of acts with the intention to condition, seduce, solicit, lure, or entice a child&#8221; to participate in sexual activity or pornography.
The bill overwhelmingly passed the Wisconsin State Assembly 93-6 and cleared the state Senate by voice vote before Democratic Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) signed it into law in March.
Hong, according to The New York Post&#8217;s <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/08/11/us-news/wisconsin-socialist-francesca-hong-voted-against-anti-child-grooming-law-responding-to-pervy-teacher-pursuing-14-year-old/">report</a>, has not publicly explained why she voted against the legislation. Others who voted against argued that it was redundant to existing state law.
The legislation initially came about as a response to the case of Christian Enwright, 31, — a teacher from Kenosha who pled guilty to 15 misdemeanor counts of &#8220;<a href="https://captimes.com/news/education/kenosha-teacher-scandal-spurs-legislation-new-policy-and-a-lawsuit/article_28fc8e7e-4328-4e32-9881-bda07e89388e.html">disorderly conduct</a>&#8221; in connection with his interactions with students, including a 14-year-old girl.
&#8220;[Enwright] engaged in classic grooming behavior, preying on the vulnerability of at least one female student, under the guise of being a mentor, to foster and further a predatory relationship with her,&#8221; a school district investigator said.
In addition to inspiring the new anti-grooming law, Enright&#8217;s actions sparked a lawsuit by a student&#8217;s parents against both him and the school district. Media outlets did not publish the names of either the girl or her parents because she still attended school in the district.
Hong entered Tuesday&#8217;s primary as the clear polling frontrunner. The democratic socialist has raised eyebrows during the campaign with a number of her old social media posts — in which she called for the cancellation of Thanksgiving and suggested abolishing the Senate.
She has also called for defunding the police — a position she&#8217;s tried to temper throughout her campaign — as recently as 2021, saying, &#8220;Police exist to uphold white supremacy. Defund then abolish. Reform can’t be an option.&#8221;
She also made headlines with her support for legalizing sex work, a point she punctuated by hiring an OnlyFans model to manage her campaign.

politics-election-2026-governor-hong-committee-1536×864

Socialist Voted Against Child-Grooming Bill. She Might Be Elected Governor.

Socialist Voted Against Law That Bans Grooming Kids. She Might Be Elected Governor.

child grooming law

democratic socialism

Wisconsin Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong dished out a stomach-churning &#8220;Feast of the Feminine&#8221; in 2019, explicitly inspired by menstruation, featuring booze, Korean blood sausage, and anatomical graphics.
&#8220;I&#8217;m doin a 6course dinner inspired by menstruation alongside my friends Autumn and Kel,&#8221; Hong posted at the time. &#8220;There will be booze too. Come hang.&#8221;
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I&#39;m doin a 6course dinner inspired by menstruation alongside my friends Autumn and Kel. There will be booze too. Come hang. <a href="https://t.co/PttgObCWWV">https://t.co/PttgObCWWV</a> <a href="https://t.co/qvxOsqvQ2N">pic.twitter.com/qvxOsqvQ2N</a>
&mdash; Francesca Hong For Governor (@FrancescaHongWI) <a href="https://x.com/FrancescaHongWI/status/1179610529687576576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The 37-year-old socialist state representative and former Madison ramen chef, who leads the polls ahead of Tuesday’s Democratic primary, has left voters with a bad taste in their mouths. Just a year after her 2019 banquet, Hong sparked outrage by tweeting a call to &#8220;Cancel Thanksgiving.&#8221; She wrote, &#8220;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 Indegenous [sic] folx [sic] and women so be it.&#8221;
Pressed on CNN about her past anti-Thanksgiving tirades, Hong offered up a word salad, saying:
<blockquote>
I&#8217;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 and 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&#8217;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&#8217;m running for right now, and I think my background as a chef, will actually help me become a better governor that&#8217;s able to bring more people to the table.
</blockquote>
Establishment Democrats are terrified Hong&#8217;s radical track record will cost them the general election against Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI). Even Democratic Governor Tony Evers publicly doubted her ability to win, adding, “She spends a lot of time, from what I understand, talking on Twitter and all these other extraneous issues. &#8230; People in this room … have seen tornadoes destroy the city, and we&#8217;re going to spend time on that bullsh*t that others are talking about on Twitter? Please.&#8221;
Hong, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America who boasts of being an &#8220;anti-capitalist&#8221; business owner, has also unleashed foul-mouthed rants at local industry groups like the Tavern League, publicly branding them with vulgar epithets, the Washington Free Beacon <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/move-over-thanksgiving-francesca-hong-hosted-feast-of-the-feminine-a-6-course-dinner-inspired-by-menstruation/">reported</a>. In another post, she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-says-culvers-trip-gave-her-anxiety-attack-over-white-people">complained</a> about being surrounded by &#8220;too many old white people&#8221; at a local fast-food spot.

Wisconsin Democrats 2026 Convention – June 14

Socialist Francesca Hong Gleefully Hosted ‘Feast’ Inspired By Menstruation

democratic socialists of america

governor

Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers expressed skepticism Thursday about socialist gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong’s general election prospects, questioning whether her social media-driven strategy and outlandish statements can keep the governor’s mansion in Democratic hands.
Evers, who has endorsed and is campaigning for Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, seemed discouraged when asked whether Hong could win a general election.
“I think she&#8217;s in a tough place. She has spent her entire campaign dealing not with the issues, but what&#8217;s on the Twitter, and I just find that that&#8217;s not a good way to beat Tom Tiffany,” Evers <a href="https://x.com/mattsmith_news/status/2085418136094822499?s=20">told local reporters.</a> “It&#8217;s going to be tough. I mean, do I think that it&#8217;s possible she can win? But I think she&#8217;s at a real disadvantage, especially since she spends a lot of time talking about Twitter.” 
He’s not alone. 
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dsas-anti-thanksgiving-governor-candidate-is-even-too-far-for-bernie">declined to endorse</a> the leftist gubernatorial candidate who generated national headlines in recent days over her previous calls to cancel one of America&#8217;s most treasured holidays. 
“I don’t think so. I met Francesca a couple of years ago, [when] I was in Wisconsin. And she was very, very nice. But, again, this is a race I just am not that familiar with,” Sanders said on the “Pod Save America” podcast.
Hong, holding a commanding lead in the Democratic primary, sparked a political firestorm this week over an unearthed November 2020 post where she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/socialist-governor-hopeful-has-kamala-moment-when-asked-about-canceling-thanksgiving">said</a> Thanksgiving should be scrapped from the American tradition. 
“Cancel Thanksgiving. Should have done this in 1621,” she said. “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.”
That particular comment appeared to bother Evers, who argued it was evidence that the DSA-backed leftist is focused on issues Wisconsin voters don&#8217;t care about.
“She was on CNN, I think, or someplace for a couple days in a row, talking about things that, frankly, are irrelevant. Yeah, it was Thanksgiving. She was talking about Thanksgiving, and yeah, she really likes it, but she doesn&#8217;t like it,” Evers said. “Come on! This is about making sure the people of Wisconsin get what they need to be successful.” 
The 37-year-old dues-paying member of the Democratic Socialists of America is campaigning on a sweeping expansion of government, including abolishing ICE, imposing a one-year moratorium on data centers, creating government-owned grocery stores, and providing universal childcare and paid leave.
Hong also supports legalizing marijuana to fund high-speed broadband and backs a state-run development bank, a 32-hour workweek with no reduction in pay, restoring voting rights to felons, and dramatically reducing the role of prisons and police, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-new-socialist-bartender-is-giving-democrat-elites-headaches?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=26&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=A+New+Socialist+Bartender+Is+Giving+Democrat+Elites+Headaches">The Daily Wire</a> reported. 
Hong&#8217;s campaign is the latest test of democratic socialist candidates in competitive statewide races following recent victories in New York City, Washington, D.C., Denver, and, most recently, Michigan. <a href="https://polymarket.com/event/wisconsin-governor-democratic-primary-winner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prediction markets</a> overwhelmingly favor Hong to win the primary.
“The system is rigged. I’m running for governor to fix it. For years, we’ve been told that doing better is impossible. Well, let me tell you, that’s bullsh*t,” she said in her campaign launch video.

Gubernatorial Candidate Francesca Hong Holds A Campaign Rally In Milwaukee

Wisconsin Dem Gov. Says Socialist Candidate Is ‘In A Tough Place’ After Thanksgiving Uproar

bernie sanders

tony evers

The &#8220;how dare we say Merry Christmas&#8221; <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DailyWire/videos/happy-holidayers-wont-know-what-hit-them/1643766333672768/">energy</a> of 2026 has a name, and it&#8217;s Francesca Hong. The seethingly socialist Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate <a href="https://x.com/greg_price11/status/2084316192659952060/photo/4">considers</a> Christmas trees oppressive, Thanksgiving cancelable, Valentine&#8217;s Day a capitalist con, and fireworks an imposition on her personal peace.
Give it time. She&#8217;ll be tweeting that puppies deserve a kickin’ next.
There is no anti-American sentiment too small for Hong to find and nurse into a grievance. She seems to be competing for a title: most aggrieved, most neurotic, most perpetually wounded candidate in the room. The competition among her communist comrades is fierce, but this week, she takes the cake.
The wannabe governor of Wisconsin has spent a decade building a paper trail of anti-American, anti-patriotic, anti-joy statements, and Thanksgiving is where it started. In 2020, Hong tweeted: &#8220;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 Indegenous folx and women, so be it.&#8221; Do women not lump into the Indegenous folx category? Have we been removed from IF-only spaces? Maybe the Native Americans had a version of Title IX even back then.
Regardless, she’s wrong on the merits. The 1621 feast was a peaceful three-day alliance meal with the Wampanoag who had saved the starving Pilgrims, and epidemics had already emptied the region years earlier from prior European contact, not from shared turkey and gratitude. But if she wants to dine in silence at her local Korean restaurant on November 24th, fine by me; more turkey for the rest of us.
Christmas isn&#8217;t safe from Hong’s holiday chopping block either. She has a documented aversion to snow and Christmas trees, an allergy to the birth of Christ and, apparently, to tidings of good cheer. When an IT worker fixing her computer remotely swapped the background to snow and a Christmas tree, Hong said she felt &#8220;slightly attacked.&#8221; Probably because snow is white. I hope with the help of therapy, she&#8217;s found peace with that trauma.
Valentine&#8217;s Day fares no better: to Hong, it&#8217;s simply the day “the worst of humanity comes out from folks ‘celebrating’ on another day capitalism tells you how to show love.” Dare I suggest that a woman with this much contempt for a holiday built around romantic gestures might have found a Valentine&#8217;s card or two useful before the fireworks in her marriage fizzled out. Don&#8217;t invite her to your Fourth of July cookout either; she does “not enjoy fireworks” in the skies – or otherwise.
Speaking of that marriage: Hong has also spoken about her struggles with her own &#8220;proximity to whiteness&#8221; through her white ex-husband and their biracial son:
<blockquote>My proximity to whiteness continues, right… My son is biracial. He&#8217;s half white, half Korean, and I think navigating what his identity is and how people perceive him is always at the back of my mind.</blockquote>
Oh, how loved he must feel. “Sorry, mommy, for being only half Korean. Dad is the worst! I’ll stay with him so you don’t have to be within my snow-white vicinity. I’ll see you at Thanksgiving! I mean, day of Indigenous Folx mourning!”
But at least she’s not a violent person, right? Just a little cuckoo? Oh — she called for the assassination of President Trump? Never mind then.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 UNEARTHED
Wisconsin Democrat Francesca Hong: &#8220;In the restaurant industry, when we&#8217;re out of something, we say it&#8217;s 86&#8217;d. And I&#8217;d say it&#8217;s about fucking time we 86 Trump.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/2H1La0Tfvi">pic.twitter.com/2H1La0Tfvi</a>
— Bobby LaValley (@Bobby_LaVallley) <a href="https://x.com/Bobby_LaVallley/status/2084439917048815679?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Lucky for her, in the Utopian Commie Sconnie she&#8217;s promising, there are no police or prisons. So someone can act on her behalf and be let off the hook. How comforting.
She&#8217;s running the standard DSA platform: defund the police, prisons, and ICE; eat the rich; abolish borders; Medicare for all; death to AIPAC; trans the kids; <a href="https://x.com/JayTC53/status/2084884280023400450">Inshallah4Life</a>. Those are the givens. What should actually alarm Wisconsin voters is what lies beneath the platform: a candidate who cannot identify a single American institution, holiday, or tradition worth defending. Increasingly, for candidates like her, that anti-Americanism isn&#8217;t a bug. It&#8217;s the whole pitch.
Francesca Hong is a second-generation Wisconsinite, the daughter of Korean immigrants who arrived in the United States in the 1980s. Her father is a sociologist. Her mother a teacher. She grew up playing soccer and co-captained her high school varsity team. So when, exactly, did she learn to despise this country? Was it after dropping out of the University of Wisconsin–Madison? Working as a line cook, sous chef, bartender? Was it after Morris Ramen, the restaurant she co-opened with her business-minded, white ex-husband, closed down? Was it when she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after being placed in a psych ward? Who, or what, radicalized her?
Somewhere between the dish pit and the campaign trail, it all went wrong, and gratitude curdled into grievance. What remains is a candidate who has built an entire public identity out of resentment: toward the holidays, toward whiteness, toward the country her own parents crossed an ocean to join.
This is not some personality quirk. It is the oldest socialist tradition of all: the systematic hatred of the very civilization that sustains them. The Bolsheviks banned Christmas and turned churches into museums of atheism. Mao’s Red Guards burned ancestral tablets and forced the Chinese people to renounce their own history. Pol Pot emptied the cities in the name of Year Zero. Every time the ideology that calls gratitude “colonialism,” family “proximity to whiteness,” and national celebration “oppression” has taken power, it has not merely canceled holidays; it has canceled the people who still dared to celebrate them.
Francesca Hong is simply the latest American face of that same ancient impulse. She does not want to improve the country her immigrant parents chose. She wants to dismantle the cultural inheritance that made their success possible. And if Wisconsin hands her the keys, the turkey, the tree, the fireworks, and the very idea of a shared American identity will be the first things to go. Followed, as history has shown time and again, by everything else.
Bye, bye American Pie. Hello Year Zero.

Francesca Hong Is The Wisconsin Commie Candidate Drinking All The Resentment Kool-Aid

donald trump

socialism

<div>
Wisconsin democratic socialist gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong is refusing to dish out a straight answer after getting caught trying to carve up one of America’s most beloved holidays.
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In an appearance on CNN, Hong dodged the question when host Kaitlin Collins pressed her on a deleted 2020 social media post where the leftist politician declared that Americans &#8220;should cancel Thanksgiving&#8221; and claimed the nation &#8220;should have done this in 1621.&#8221;
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Instead of giving a simple yes or no on whether she still wants to ax Turkey Day, Hong offered up a scrambled word salad about her history as a chef. She served up platitudes about &#8220;bringing folks around the table&#8221; while simultaneously validating Left-wing grievances, claiming the holiday is &#8220;incredibly painful for many people in our communities&#8221; and noting that &#8220;views can evolve.&#8221;
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Hong also dodged the question when asked about her prior statement that prison should be abolished. Collins asked, &#8220;You said you don&#8217;t support abolishing prisons. Do you still hold the view that you laid out in May, which was that in a perfect world it would be a world without prisons?&#8221;
&#8220;I think talking about what may be aspirational and then understanding the role of the governor, what they can and cannot do, and what is implementable right now,&#8221; Hong answered. &#8220;These are different conversations.&#8221;
Hong&#8217;s fence-sitting dodge regarding Thanksgiving comes straight out of the modern leftist playbook, as Left-wing activists and media outlets have spent years trying to ruin the holiday for hard-working Americans. Rather than celebrating family and gratitude, the radical Left has consistently rebranded Thanksgiving as a monument to colonial oppression and violence.
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Mainstream media outlets have repeatedly joined the anti-Thanksgiving choir. Headlines in Time Magazine <a href="https://time.com/5457183/thanksgiving-native-american-holiday/">explicitly branded</a> the holiday a &#8220;harmful lie,&#8221; while The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/11/23/violence-root-our-thanksgiving-myth-has-been-hemispheric/">ran pieces</a> smearing the nation&#8217;s traditional gathering by highlighting &#8220;hemispheric&#8221; violence at the root of the &#8220;myth.&#8221; Leftist publication The Nation joined the fray by <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/society/thanksgiving-debate/">insisting</a> the feast&#8217;s history is intertwined with colonial aggression, arguing that the holiday must be &#8220;decolonized.&#8221;
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Meanwhile, far-Left outlets like the World Socialist Website have <a href="https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/11/27/uynt-n27.html">trashed</a> the annual feast as a bitter symbol of economic inequality and capitalist rot. Activists have even taken to Change.org to <a href="https://www.change.org/p/end-the-wall-street-journal-s-thanksgiving-insult-to-native-americans">demand</a> major newspapers stop publishing historical Pilgrim accounts, labeling them inherently racist, while radical voices across social media continue to lecture families that serving a turkey honors historical oppression.
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Hong&#8217;s refusal to disavow her past comments shows just how deeply these radical anti-American talking points have taken root among leftist politicians.
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Socialist Governor Hopeful Has Kamala Moment When Asked About Canceling Thanksgiving

thanksgiving

The Democrat frontrunner for Wisconsin governor faced renewed criticism on Friday after social media users resurfaced a 2019 post in which she said she nearly had an &#8220;anxiety attack&#8221; because there were too many &#8220;old white people&#8221; at a Culver&#8217;s restaurant. 
Francesca Hong, a Wisconsin state representative backed by multiple Democratic Socialists of America chapters, became the clear favorite for the Democratic nomination Thursday after former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-surprise-exit-leaves-wisconsin-democrats-with-a-dsa-frontrunner">dropped out</a> of the race.
“I ate two bites of my kid&#8217;s cheeseburger at a Culver&#8217;s in black river falls (sic) and told him they ran out of ice cream. Mostly just wanted to leave bc I was on the verge of a anxiety attack&#8230;to [sic] many old white people who didn&#8217;t think we spoke english,” Hong posted on X. 
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I ate two bites of my kid&#8217;s cheeseburger at a Culver&#8217;s in black river falls and told him they ran out of ice cream. Mostly just wanted to leave bc I was on the verge of a anxiety attack&#8230;to many old white people who didn&#8217;t think we spoke english
— Francesca Hong For Governor (@FrancescaHongWI) <a href="https://x.com/FrancescaHongWI/status/1146100682589691905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Recent Marquette Law School <a href="https://law.marquette.edu/poll/2026/07/29/marquette-law-poll-finds-expanded-support-for-hong-in-democratic-primary-barnes-sits-second-and-crowley-third/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">polling</a> found Hong with a commanding double-digit lead ahead of next month&#8217;s Democratic primary, raising concerns among some establishment Democrats that her left-wing positions could alienate voters in the general election. 
Hong’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on her comments. In a Wednesday <a href="https://x.com/FrancescaHongWI/status/2082837349323464891?s=20">post</a> on X, Hong lamented that “folks are digging up old tweets in an attempt to shift the narrative in this race.&#8221;
“Here’s a Democrat gubernatorial candidate complaining about how she nearly had an ‘anxiety attack’ because there were too many ‘white people’ at a restaurant,” said Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX). “Nothing unifies the Democrat Party more than vitriolic racial animus against white people. It’s evil and indefensible.”
Hong, who is backed by DSA chapters in Madison and Milwaukee and endorsed by leftist Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Ro Khanna (D-CA), has also drawn attention for past <a href="https://x.com/FrancescaHongWI/status/1488133196025843718">statements</a> about policing and race. In 2021, she <a href="https://x.com/FrancescaHongWI/status/1446599006872801282">wrote</a>, “Police exist to uphold white supremacy. Defund then abolish. Reform can&#8217;t be an option.&#8221;
Hong has also advocated abolishing ICE, imposing a one-year moratorium on data centers, creating government-owned grocery stores, restoring voting rights to felons,  and legalizing marijuana. She has also previously advocated for abolishing the U.S. Senate. 
The Wisconsin Democrats will choose their nominee in the August 11 primary. Some state Democrats, including Gov. Tony Evers, are backing Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley.

Dem Says Culver’s Trip Gave Her ‘Anxiety Attack’ Over ‘White People’

2026 Midterms

anti-white

brandon gill

Elections

Mandela Barnes

White Supremacy

Former Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes abruptly dropped out of the Democratic primary for governor Thursday, minutes after reports surfaced that party officials were bracing for a damaging media story about him.
“Last night I had a very difficult conversation with staff,” Barnes <a href="https://x.com/TheOtherMandela/status/2082894497839468849">said in a social media video</a>. “We’re incredibly proud of all the things that we’ve accomplished and all the resources that we have raised to spread our message. But it’s become very clear who our nominee is going to be.”
Politico reported Thursday that Wisconsin Democratic officials were expecting negative media coverage involving Barnes. Minutes later, Barnes announced he was suspending his campaign.
Republican political consultant Ryan Girdusky <a href="https://x.com/RyanGirdusky/status/2082897705769066937?s=20">responded</a> to the announcement by posting: “Woah…. They’re really trying to wrestle this away from Francesca Hong.” 
Hong, a 37-year-old state representative and dues-paying member of the Democratic Socialists of America, has emerged as the frontrunner in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, a race Republicans believe presents an opportunity to flip the governor&#8217;s mansion. 
Often compared to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Hong has campaigned on a <a href="https://francescahong.com/policy/">Left-wing platform</a> that includes abolishing ICE, imposing a one-year moratorium on data centers, creating government-owned grocery stores, and expanding government-funded childcare and paid family leave.
Hong also supports legalizing marijuana to fund high-speed broadband, creating a state-run development bank, establishing a 32-hour workweek without reducing pay, restoring voting rights to felons, and dramatically reducing the role of prisons and police, as The Daily Wire previously reported.
Hong&#8217;s rise has sparked concern from some establishment Democrats, who worry that nominating a Democratic socialist in a state President Donald Trump carried could improve Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany&#8217;s chances in the general election.  
<a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/governor/democratic-primary/2026/wisconsin">Recent polling</a> shows Hong holding a double-digit lead over established Democrats, including <a href="https://evers.wi.gov/Pages/Newsroom/About_Mandela.aspx">Barnes</a> and Milwaukee County Executive <a href="https://www.crowleyforwi.com/">David Crowley.</a> Crowley briefly suspended his campaign before reviving it two weeks later with the backing of outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. 
Asked about Barnes&#8217; surprise exit, Evers said he had learned of it only moments earlier. 
&#8220;I heard it about 30 seconds ago. Yeah, surprised,&#8221; he <a href="https://x.com/mattsmith_news/status/2082899728824508858?s=20">told</a> a local reporter before reaffirming his backing of Crowley. &#8220;He&#8217;s the best candidate running, even if Mandela was in.&#8221;
Wisconsin&#8217;s Democratic primary is set for August 11. The contest is expected to test the strength of Democratic socialist candidates in the industrial Midwest following a string of recent victories in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Denver. 
<a href="https://polymarket.com/event/wisconsin-governor-democratic-primary-winner">Prediction markets</a> overwhelmingly favor Hong to win the primary.

Democratic Senate Candidate Mandela Barnes Campaigns In Milwaukee

A Surprise Exit Leaves Wisconsin Democrats With A DSA Frontrunner

Democrats

Midterms

News

Leftist agitators set up a “lawless” zone in Madison, Wisconsin, to protest the fatal police shooting of a knife-wielding felon, prompting local residents to lash out at city officials for not doing anything to restore order to the streets. 
Multiple blocks of a Madison neighborhood are blocked by barricades of wooden pallets, trash cans, and boards with nails sticking out of them to protest the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-how-police-react-as-screaming-protester-takes-over-briefing-on-fatal-shooting?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Watch+How+Police+React+As+Screaming+Protester+Takes+Over+Briefing+On+Fatal+Shooting">shooting</a> of Corey Ruiz, a man with an extensive criminal history. Tents were also set up in the zone by activists, and the homeless population has moved into the zone as city officials ignore calls from locals to clear the area. 
The city is even helping the agitators, bringing in portable toilets, trash cans, and even parked trucks to block off intersections, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel <a href="https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/crime/2026/07/29/madisons-corey-ruiz-protest-encampment-draws-frustration-as-it-persists/91084501007/?gnt-cfr=1&amp;gca-cat=p&amp;gca-uir=true&amp;gca-epti=z11xx48p004950n11----l116550c11----u003548e1124xxv11xx48&amp;gca-ft=282&amp;gca-ds=sophi">reported</a>. 
“As a resident trapped in the protest zone, I feel the protest turned into a very disrespectful occupation focused on punishing Willy Street for the incident,” one local <a href="https://www.wmtv15news.com/2026/07/28/madison-memorial-blocks-williamson-street-businesses-residents-nearly-week/">told</a> WMTV. “It is now a lawless zone and homeless encampment barricaded on all four sides with groups blocking local residences and businesses from surviving.”
The neighborhood has been plagued by people urinating in the streets, drinking, loud fights, and agitators stealing trash cans for their blockade. One sign put up in the zone reads, &#8220;There’s more of us than them. We must revolt.” 
“I feel like we are suffering and we shouldn’t be. Like [protesters] are claiming that they’re supporting the community by being down here, but they’re actually harming the community by shutting down major businesses on this stretch,” Jeff Schmidt, the co-owner of the Weary Traveler restaurant, told the Sentinel. 
The city of Madison did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Wire, but Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway&#8217;s office previously said officials were “exploring many avenues to reach a successful resolution without further heightening tensions and causing more harm to impacted community members, including protesters.”
&#8220;A number of different City agencies are working to meet the needs of the neighborhood to the best of their ability,” she told the Sentinel. “We ask that everyone extend grace to each other in this difficult time.”
The unrest stems from an incident last week in which police say Ruiz pulled a knife on them. Ruiz had dozens of criminal convictions, including for robbery by force, strangulation, drug possession, vehicle theft and battery of a public safety worker, resisting law enforcement, and drug paraphernalia.
Other residents told the outlet that they are “very much upset with Madison leadership,” that the area is in a “state of fight-or-flight,” and that they described the situation as “extremely stressful.” 
Sentinel reporter Laura Schulte posted photos and videos from what she said people are calling the “Corey Ruiz Autonomous Zone.” 
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I don’t usually enter the encampment this direction, but there are lots of boards with nails here to keep people out <a href="https://t.co/shoLPfWxeY">pic.twitter.com/shoLPfWxeY</a>
— Laura Schulte (@SchulteLaura) <a href="https://x.com/SchulteLaura/status/2082453985131168211?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
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During the height of the widespread rioting following the death of George Floyd, leftist agitators set up the so-called “Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone” in Seattle that quickly turned into a violent drug den.

Madison Community Protests After Police Officer Fatally Shoots Man During Attempted Arrest

City Helps Leftist Agitators Secure ‘Lawless Zone’

George Floyd

law enforcement

Madison

police

Protests

Leftists

Leftists Can’t Make Up Their Minds About Body Cams. It’s Hilarious.

bodycam footage

bodycams

Corey Ruiz

Flock camera

seattle

surveillance

Ex-football star Tony Romo struggled to understand officers&#8217; instructions during a field sobriety test and refused to take a breathalyzer test, body cam footage released Tuesday by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office shows.
Romo, who is now the NFL on CBS lead game analyst, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-cowboys-qb-tony-romo-arrested">arrested</a> last week and charged with his first offense of Operating While Intoxicated (OWI) — Wisconsin’s term for a DUI. He was stopped by an officer while driving on southbound Interstate 43 on a bridge and was subsequently taken to jail. He has since been released.
Bodycam footage from the arrest shows a female deputy with the Milwaukee County Sheriff&#8217;s Office stopping Romo for unsafe passing on the right, deviation on the road, and crossing the gore, the triangular safety zone splitting the highway and an entrance ramp.
When the deputy asked Romo where he was from, he <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/bodycam-shows-tony-romo-arguing-officer-before-refusing-breath-test-during-dui-arrest">replied</a>, “Well, I live in Dallas, so I came to visit grandma and grandpa’s so we’re here. I played in the golf tournament of the Wisconsin Amateur Championship.” 

The deputy asked Romo, “How many drinks have you had?” to which he responded, “Zero.”
The officer then asked if Romo could undergo a field sobriety test.
“I’m gonna call my lawyer and I&#8217;m gonna see if it’s offensible [sic],” Romo said.
“Okay, step out of the vehicle,” she replied.
“I’m still allowed to call my lawyer, right?” Romo asked.
“You’re not,” the deputy said.
Romo stayed in the car as he looked down at his phone. 
“I’m gonna give him an additional ten seconds — he’s not stepping out of the vehicle,” the officer said into her walkie-talkie.
“I&#8217;ll do it. I&#8217;m just saying I&#8217;m not allowed to call my lawyer?” Romo interrupted as he finally stepped out of the car. The deputy stated that Romo was pending an OWI investigation.
&#8220;Because I&#8217;m coming from a golf course, you think I&#8217;m drunk?&#8221; Romo asked.
The deputy told Romo to step in front of the squad car and patted him down for weapons. She then told Romo to put his hands behind his back.
“I thought you’re taking me through [a field sobriety test],” Romo answered.
“So as of right now, we’re on a [uneven] ground, we’re on a bridge. I want to convey you somewhere that’s going to be an even surface free of debris,” she replied.
The officer cuffed Romo and put him in the back of the car. When asked if he was in the vehicle, the 6-foot-2-inch Romo replied, &#8220;I&#8217;m in, uncomfortably, yes.”
“Yeah, you&#8217;re a taller fellow,” the deputy said.
More body cam footage <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2026/07/28/tony-romo-owi-arrest-body-cam/">obtained</a> by TMZ shows the female officer with three other deputies in a parking lot with Romo doing field sobriety tests. Romo struggled to understand the instructions on how to do nine heel-to-toe steps, at one point going on all fours to stretch out.
“Sorry guys, two back surgeries — it does hurt me,” Romo said.
He was then asked to stand on one foot for 30 seconds. After 20 seconds, he fell off balance and said, “I know that was at least eight or nine seconds.” 
The deputy then asked Romo if he would be willing to go through a preliminary breath test. He responded, “Oh no, we’re not doing that. I’ve already heard from all the lawyers, ‘Don’t ever do that.’”
The officer <a href="https://people.com/tony-romo-bodycam-footage-arrest-alleged-owi-12029103">told</a> Romo that he had “red, glassy eyes” and an “odor of an intoxicating alcoholic beverage from your back.” She and other officers reported finding “a few shooters” in Romo’s backpack, which he denies drinking.
Romo <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-details-add-twist-to-tony-romo-arrest">retired</a> from the NFL following the 2016 season after spending his entire 13-year career with the Dallas Cowboys, where he remains the franchise’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns with 248. Since joining CBS Sports in 2017, he has become one of the network’s top NFL analysts and signed a reported 10-year, $180 million contract extension in 2020.

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