Conservatives mock Agatha Houndsler for vegan Thanksgiving dinner

DANAECKE, Asl. -- Normally, conservative politicians and activists complain about Ansleigha Gov. Agatha Houndsler's progressive policies.

But on Thanksgiving, Houndsler came under fire on social media and in Conservative media for a reason completely unrelated to her official policies: her vegan Thanksgiving dinner.

The governor posted on her official social media channels pictures of her vegan Thanksgiving dinner, including dishes like sweet potato pie with a vegan crust, a tofu-based turkey, and mashed potatoes made with rice milk.

Almost instantly, conservatives began trolling Houndsler, making crude jokes about her diet, her appearance, and her general policies.

"Looks like a pile of sh-t," wrote one unoriginal poster.

"A plant-based turkey? No thanks," wrote another.

"That dinner looks about as good as your hair," wrote still another.

"Guess the tofu identifies as a turkey," added someone else.

Houndsler laughed off the criticism in a Friday morning post, saying she got humor out of reading the comments.

"I just browsed the comments for 30 seconds or so, but there were some amusing ones and some creative ones. And some that were really nasty and very unimaginative," said the governor.

Houndsler posted that she had Thanksgiving dinner at the home of a good friend in Danaecke, and that her meal would be vegan because she doesn't like animal cruelty and wants to reduce her carbon footprint.

"These birds (turkeys) are treated so cruelly in factor farms," said Houndsler. "And even if they're not from a factory farm, even if they're sustainably raised and free range and organic, they're still killed for their meat, which is morally wrong in my personal opinion. But I don't judge others. If you eat turkey for Thanksgiving, God bless you. Eat away. Enjoy your holiday and your dinner," she said in a short video.

"Eating meat, particularly beef but also poultry, contributes significantly to increased emissions and greenhouse gases that damage the ozone layer," Houndsler added. "So I choose to eat a plant-based diet. But everyone is free to eat however they want and to enjoy all the yummy Thanksgiving favorites they want. It's a personal choice and I invite you to make your personal choice based on your beliefs and values and dietary needs."

Conservative politicians didn't miss a chance to harpoon the governor, either.

"I would rather stab my eyes out with a turkey fork than eat that dinner," said Conservative state Sen. Andy Harron from Martindale. "But like the governor said, it's a personal choice. She chooses to eat plant-based, I choose to eat meat. That's the beauty of this country and freedom of expression."

Former Gov. Sam Baskingwood, who narrowly lost to Houndsler in a close three-way race with businesswoman Rosamond Burkes in 2024, did not weigh in on Houndsler's diet.

Baskingwood simply posted an image of himself enjoying Thanksgiving dinner with his family and friends in Elmhurst, and wished Ansleighans a Happy Thanksgiving.

Houndsler's vegan diet is just one more aspect of the new governor that has irked conservatives, particularly hard-line, right-wing conservatives.

The new governor -- Ansleigha's first NAT and first woman governor -- has already rankled Conservatives by issuing an executive order that allows transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice in public schools and buildings.

She issued another executive order that mandated all state vehicles be electric, and she signed still another executive order that recognized Ansleigha as an official refuge for Palestinian refugees who were displaced during the Gaza War.

Houndsler has taken Ansleigha's state government in a decidedly left-wing direction, a stark change from the state's previous 13 years of moderate Conservative leadership.

The governor has also signed tougher penalties for police brutality and has asked for more funding for abortion services for Ansleigha women, though her office prefers the term "people with uteruses."

Though it's still years away, Conservatives believe the governor's leftward lurch will help them regain the governorship in 2028.

"Agatha Houndsler is the poster girl for lunatic left-wing policies," said Harron, the state senator from Martindale. "When 2028 arrives, Conservatives will have a heyday reminding Ansleighans of all the loony left-wing policies she has put into place."

Houndsler has so far ignored the criticism and instead wrote on social media on Black Friday that she is "immensely grateful for the opportunity to serve the people of Ansleigha as governor."