Fox News reports that Calla Walsh, a far-left activist with past ties to prominent Massachusetts Democrats, appeared on Iranian state media praising the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the "greatest anti-imperialist leader" of her lifetime. The remarks, aired by Press TV during coverage of Khamenei's funeral, matter because Walsh previously volunteered on Democratic campaigns, and the piece frames her comments as an embarrassing link between a mainstream party's activist network and hostility towards the United States and Israel.

Walsh helped form Students for Markey and was credited with a "pivotal role" in Senator Ed Markey's 2020 primary win, after first volunteering for Senator Elizabeth Warren's presidential campaign. In the interview, filmed with an Iranian flag in the background, she described Khamenei as a leader for all who "struggle against imperialism… against Zionism, against genocide". She now describes herself as a US journalist working in Lebanon, and public profiles trace further progressive work in Massachusetts, including roles with Act on Mass, candidate Jordan Meehan, councillor Julia Mejia and Michelle Wu's mayoral bid.