Stunning downfall of 'liberal wunderkind' who was once a rising political star... only to end up chanting 'Death to America' in Tehran

By RACHEL BOWMAN, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 19:26, 5 May 2026 | Updated: 19:26, 5 May 2026 A young woman once viewed as a rising star of the left became so radicalized that she now lives in the Middle East and makes regular media appearances chanting 'Death to America.' Calla Walsh, now 21, skyrocketed to fame in 2020 at just 16 years old for her role in the reelection campaign of Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey, the Boston Globe reported. Unable to vote for herself, Walsh became the leader of a Gen-Z activist group called the Markeyverse, which helped the long-shot candidate beat Former Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III. She was hailed by the New York Times and NPR for her successful social media tactics. 'Walsh tends to downplay her movement, describing them as 'Markey teens' and 'theater kids,' the New York Times wrote in 2021. 'But the Markeyverse carried out a devastating political maneuver, firmly fixing the idea of Senator Markey as a left-wing icon.' Six years later, Walsh has fallen down a rabbit hole of radicalization, now living in Beirut and working as an anti-American, pro-Palestine activist. On July 20, 2025, Walsh was seen on Iranian media chanting 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel' during a memorial event in Tehran. Calla Walsh, now 21, skyrocketed to fame in 2020 at just 16 years old for her role in the reelection campaign of Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey Six years later, Walsh has fallen down a rabbit hole of radicalization, now living in Beirut and working as an anti-American, pro-Palestine activist She thanked Iran for hosting her at the event and called on attendees to share the 'struggle against Zionism and imperialism.' In March, Walsh appeared to celebrate the deaths of four US soldiers killed during the war with Iran. 'They all died fighting for fascism, genocide, pedophilia, and cannibalism,' she wrote on X.  When it was reported that US and Israeli forces killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Walsh called him the 'leader of the free world.' 'Rest in peace to the leader of the free world. His blood has watered the seeds of universal liberation, ' she wrote on X. 'May a global uprising avenge him, complete the great flood, and never forsake the path of resistance to the Great Satan.' In 2024, she was sentenced to 60 days in jail after she was arrested protesting outside Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest private defense contractor, in New Hampshire. She was released after serving only a month in jail. The Free Press reported in March that she has since moved to Beirut and is allegedly on a US government watch list. On July 20, 2025, Walsh was seen on Iranian media chanting 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel' during a memorial event in Tehran In 2024, she was sentenced to 60 days in jail after she was arrested protesting outside Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest private defense contractor, in New Hampshire She appears to have relocated to Beirut, and is allegedly on a US watchlist for her radical posts  The Daily Mail contacted Walsh, her father, Chris Walsh, and Markey's office for comment. Her parents declined to comment to the Boston Globe but sent a statement distancing themselves from her political beliefs. 'Though we have some differences in political opinion, we respect and love Calla very much and, like her, wish that the attention of the press and public be directed not at her but at the ultimate cause she has risked so much for: ending war and oppression for all people,' her parents said. Joe Caiazzo, a top adviser to Kennedy and Markey's 2020 opponent, told the newspaper that Walsh's apparent radicalization is the result of giving her too much power as a young teen. 'The press decided some 16-year-old kid was going to dictate the terms of engagement in a US Senate race, and now she's chanting "Death to America,"' Caiazzo said. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.