AOC cites past comments by Wisconsin candidate Francesca Hong, calls “Woke 1 was crazy” in Sunday interview

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) defended her stance on Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong (D) during a Sunday interview, arguing that Hong’s earlier comments reflected extreme views. Ocasio-Cortez told ABC News’s “This Week” host Jonathan Karl that “Woke 1 was crazy,” as part of a discussion about Hong’s past statements and policy positions.

In the interview, Karl pressed Ocasio-Cortez on whether her comments about Hong were accurate and what they suggested about Hong’s record. Ocasio-Cortez responded by pointing to statements attributed to Hong, which she described as reflecting a pattern of inflammatory or disruptive rhetoric.

One of the examples Ocasio-Cortez highlighted was a claim that Hong had urged Americans to “cancel Thanksgiving.” The Hill reported that Ocasio-Cortez referenced the episode while answering Karl’s question about Hong’s views and how they aligned with Ocasio-Cortez’s own approach.

Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks come as Hong seeks the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Wisconsin. Hong’s campaign and party allies have faced scrutiny over past positions, and Ocasio-Cortez’s public comments Sunday added another high-profile perspective to the debate around Hong’s prior statements.

The Hill’s report framed Ocasio-Cortez’s comments as a contrast between her characterization of Hong’s earlier rhetoric and the candidate’s current political effort. The exchange underscored the role that prior statements can play in intraparty disputes as campaigns move into the final stretch.

Ocasio-Cortez and Karl’s exchange did not in the reported account include any formal legislative action, court filing, or agency decision tied directly to the controversy. Instead, it focused on political messaging and questions about how voters should interpret past comments and their implications for governance.

No independent verification of Hong’s quoted positions or the specific “cancel Thanksgiving” claim is provided in the report beyond Ocasio-Cortez’s discussion in the interview. Further context would likely depend on the underlying statements themselves and any responses from Hong or her campaign.

The immediate next step following the interview will be how Hong’s campaign and Democratic party groups respond to the criticisms and whether they provide context for the cited remarks. For voters, the dispute may center on the same question highlighted in the Sunday segment: what Hong’s prior statements indicate about her approach to public life and community traditions.