As the midterm elections draw ever closer in America, politicians also ramp up the campaigning, and for Michigan‘s representative, her way of getting votes drew the wrong kind of attention. The state rep went viral for making a satire video mocking Erika Kirk, Kristi Noem, the MAGA movement, Fox News, McDonald’s, aka “American Food,” Trump, and ICE. The video has since drawn criticism from conservatives.
Michigan State Rep Mai Xiong of the Democratic Party is the politician in question, and on May 18, she posted the satire video above on her TikTok account. According to Xiong, “MAGA was not happy I wore my traditional Hmong garb, to celebrate my culture and heritage,” she explained further, “so today I’m gonna wear their garment.” She then put on her Team USA shirt and her MAGA make-up, going for the “Kirsti Noem meets Erika Kirk” look.
Xiong then went on to order and eat a Big Mac from McDonald’s, then mowed her lawn and pretended to call ICE on someone who looked like an immigrant. Xiong’s skit has since gone viral on X, where numerous conservative accounts have shared her content with complementary criticism, prompting more discussion and anti-immigrant sentiments from commenters.
One X user even asked, “Why do people who hate the United States so much want to live here?” with another replying, “She should be deported,” regarding Mai Xiong. Xiong, for the record, is of Hmong heritage. Xiong’s family originally lived in Laos, where her father worked for the CIA, but civil war forced them to move to Thailand, where she was born. Eventually, they migrated to the US, and she became the current Michigan state rep as an adult.
People online are accusing her of being a Chinese spy
Apart from the calls for deportation and denaturalization, Xiong’s critics also dug up some of her history, with one commenter claiming, “Ask her about the lien on her home as a result of a $16.5 million Ponzi scheme in another state.” Others were merely offended by her skit that made fun of US culture, “I’m sick of seeing elected officials openly mock our country. If you don’t like it here GTFO.”
Certain comments also had to explain Xiong’s heritage since her conservative critics appear to be confused and want her deported to Thailand. “She was born in a refugee camp located in Thailand. She is not Thai, she’s Hmong,” though this appears to have drawn more racist tirades, with replies such as, “Well, she’s Hmong one of the worst, must unfunny ch[expletive] in America.”
Meanwhile, Mai Xiong is also running for reelection for the Michigan House of Representatives, where she has been serving since 2024. The Michigan State Rep continues to denounce ICE and promote her Hmong heritage and her family’s story on her TikTok page.
