In a 2023 interview with Meal Magazine, Wisconsin progressive Democrat Francesca Hong — the current frontrunner in the Democratic primary for governor of the critical battleground state — openly detailed a severe mental health crisis she had in high school. Hong said she suffered a mental breakdown that landed her in a psychiatric hospital for a week.
She described intense numbness and emotional pain that led her to self-harm by cutting. Hong further stated she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, was prescribed SSRIs, and overdosed on lithium. In typical liberal fashion, Hong tried to paint herself as a victim in the interview, blaming the crisis on feeling like an outsider as the daughter of Korean immigrants. Peter Bernegger was first to sound the alarm on X.
Hong, a self-described Democratic Socialist and DSA-endorsed candidate, has surged to the top of recent polls in Wisconsin’s crowded 2026 Democratic primary for governor. Wisconsin is a key swing state that has delivered razor-close elections and has shown strong support for Republican candidates in recent cycles. Despite her current efforts to soft-pedal her record while attempting to court working-class and even Trump voters, her past positions and legislative record paint a very different picture.
Old posts from Hong show her repeatedly calling to “Defund the police,” declaring “I support defunding the police as a first step towards abolishing the police,” and stating “Police exist to uphold white supremacy. Defund then abolish. Reform can’t be an option.” She also pushed to “Abolish ICE,” demanded “ICE out of Wisconsin” and “ICE out of the streets,” and even called to “Abolish the Senate.”
Watch Hong attempt to backtrack her radical views on defunding police and eventually abolishing police during an interview on Fox News: