Annie Dunleavy, a 30-year-old former special education teacher from Cheshire, Connecticut, is considering a career in politics after resigning from her position at Chapman Elementary School.
Her resignation followed a viral video in which she made aggressive remarks targeting Donald Trump supporters.
In the video, Dunleavy issued incendiary statements, including a threat to leave Trump supporters “on a stretcher… forever” and a warning to “not test their gangster” on her.
She also expressed concerns about safety, saying, “The people I care about aren’t gonna be safe in America, so neither the f*** are you guys.”
The video, laden with profanity, also included comments such as:
“Just because you won doesn’t mean we don’t remember who the f*** you voted for. You’re not in the clear… Please, please don’t test your gangster on me because you will end on a stretcher — gone, forever.”
She continued:
“I’m so serious. Nobody fing talk to me unless you wanna swing. If you wanna fight, text me, call me, whatever. Anybody else, stay the f outta my face. If you voted for Trump, literally, please delete me, block me, get rid of everything of me — or step to me so that I know what’s up, and I can handle you how I see fit.”
Following the video’s circulation online, Dunleavy faced public backlash and was placed on leave by her school district. Shortly after, she resigned from her teaching role entirely.
In an interview with News 8, Dunleavy apologized for her remarks and explained that her video was not intended as a threat, though she acknowledged why it might have been perceived that way.
“I hope that people know I am not a danger. I would never hurt anyone; I have never hurt anyone unless my safety was in danger — and that was the point I was trying to get across,” she stated. “But I completely understand why it was taken a different way.”
She added that her words reflected her emotional state at the time, rather than a genuine intention to harm anyone.
When asked if she would consider running for office or pursuing a role that could bring about meaningful change, Dunleavy expressed openness to the idea. She admitted that her initial approach—venting frustrations on social media—was misguided.
“Yes, I think that [venting on social media] was my initial thought of how I could make a change and how I could share my views, and clearly that is not the right way to go about it,” she said.
Dunleavy further elaborated that her aggressive tone stemmed from fears of what she perceived as the dangers of another Trump presidency.
“I wanted to basically just say, like, I’m not going to go down without a fight. I will fight for myself, and if someone was to try to hurt me, I would do what I had to do to protect myself,” she explained. “That all came out in a very aggressive tone and a very aggressive manner because of the emotional state I was in at the moment.”
Dunleavy’s controversial remarks have sparked a heated debate about the limits of free speech, professional accountability, and the potential for individuals in positions of influence to shape political discourse.
While her statements drew significant criticism, her openness to entering the political arena could mark the beginning of a new chapter.
Whether Dunleavy’s pivot to politics will resonate with voters remains to be seen, but her case underscores the complexities of navigating public life in an era of heightened political polarization.