Wisconsin Democratic socialist eyes Trump voters as she walks back 'defund the police' remarks

By SAMANTHA LOREN, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 23:02, 31 July 2026 | Updated: 23:10, 31 July 2026 Wisconsin Democratic socialist Francesca Hong is making a desperate appeal to Trump voters as she attempts to distance herself from several progressive positions she previously supported — including calls to defund the police and abolish the Senate. The state assemblywoman, who is leading the Democratic gubernatorial field, insisted she has evolved politically and argued that her current focus is putting working-class voters first. Hong made the comments during an appearance on Fox's America's Newsroom Friday morning, where she was pressed over whether she still supports positions associated with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) platform. When asked if she disagreed with any of the ideologies within the DSA platform, Hong named one issue she no longer supports. 'Abolishing the Senate. I believe it's nonsensical and nonpractical at this time,' Hong said. Host Dana Perino then pulled up what she described as 'far left' posts written by Hong in 2020 and 2021, including repeated calls to defund police departments and abolish the Senate. Perino pressed Hong on why voters should believe she no longer supports those positions. 'I believe as a Democratic Socialist what that means is that I would like to put working class people first over mega corporations…' Hong explained. Perino interjected, asking, 'How does defunding the police put working class people first?' Wisconsin Gubernatorial Democratic frontrunner Francesca Hong walked back her past defund the police statements, saying people 'evolve' New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani initially supported the defund the police movement, but changed his stance while on the campaign trail Gubernatorial Republican frontrunner Tom Tiffany is leading Hong 43 percent to 40 percent, according to a recent Marquette Law School poll  To which Hong responded, 'I believe that people can evolve. We need Trump voters from previous elections who now would like to vote for me, who have a sign in their yard.' She later insisted she would not pursue policies to defund police departments if elected governor. 'The governor can not defund the police, and I won't defund the police,' Hong affirmed. Instead, she said she would invest in resources that she 'knows' would prevent crime, including 'getting guns off of our streets, making sure that there's victims for justice.' CNN's Dana Bash also questioned Hong about her past social media posts endorsing defunding and abolishing the police. Hong said she wants to ensure communities receive funding for programs that are proven to improve public safety. She again stated that the governor 'cannot defund the police' and said she wants to be 'the governor that is most serious about public safety.' After the Fox interview aired, Hong reiterated her position on X. 'Once again: I am not running to defund the police. And to be clear, the governor cannot defund the police. My administration will prioritize public safety & justice for victims. If you want to talk about who's actually defunding public safety, start with @ScottWalker & @repvos!' Hong is not nationally endorsed by the DSA but has been endorsed by DSA chapters in Wisconsin, including the Madison Area and Milwaukee Area DSA chapters. Hong's walk-back follows similar moves by other DSA politicians who previously supported the 'Defund the Police' movement but later shifted their messaging. In 2020, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani made at least a dozen X posts calling to defund the police. He publicly supported the 'Defund the NYPD' movement and made statements calling for reducing the role and funding of the NYPD. However, during his mayoral campaign, Mamdani said, 'I am not defunding the police' and 'I am not running to defund the police.' He instead emphasized shifting some public-safety responsibilities toward non-police services while maintaining a police force. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez supported the 'defund' movement in 2020 and argued for reallocating some police funding. She later emphasized police accountability, mental health response, and community investments rather than eliminating police departments. Representative Ilhan Omar supported defunding proposals in 2020. She later shifted messaging toward police reform, accountability and improving public safety while continuing to criticize excessive police spending and misconduct. The Democratic nomination currently appears to be trending toward Francesca Hong, while Republican Representative Tom Tiffany is the clear Republican frontrunner. A recent Marquette Law School poll found that in a hypothetical 2026 Wisconsin governor matchup, Republican Tom Tiffany led Hong 43 percent to 40 percent, with 17 percent of registered voters undecided. Wisconsin's primary election is Tuesday, August 11.