Democratic Socialists Openly Embrace Communist Ideology Within Party Ranks

Recent electoral successes by Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates have spotlighted a growing embrace of Marxist and communist principles among some progressive leaders in the Democratic Party. In New York City’s 2026 primaries, candidates aligned with the DSA secured major victories, including Zohran Mamdani’s nomination for mayor on an explicitly socialist platform. President Donald Trump described these outcomes as evidence of “hardcore Godless communists” gaining ground, while mainstream outlets like CNN pushed back, distinguishing socialism from communism.

The DSA, the largest socialist organization in the United States with over 100,000 members, operates as a separate entity but fields candidates under the Democratic banner. Its 25-member National Political Council holds significant sway, and analysis of caucus affiliations reveals that at least 10 members belong to groups explicitly advocating communism or Marxist-Leninist frameworks. These factions reject incremental reform in favor of systemic overthrow of capitalism.

One prominent example is the Red Star caucus, a self-described revolutionary Marxist-Leninist group within the DSA. Its platform states: “Red Star is a Marxist-Leninist caucus in DSA. Our primary goal, the goal which informs all of our organizing work, is to abolish capitalism and, ultimately, to achieve communism.” Red Star co-chair Megan Romer, a member of the NPC, has promoted the writings of Vladimir Lenin, Ho Chi Minh, and Che Guevara while calling for a “vanguard party” to lead toward a revolutionary situation modeled on historical communist movements. She has participated in events with the French Communist Party and spoken at European Left conferences.

The Marxist Unity Group, another NPC-influential caucus with three members, describes itself as committed to rallying Marxists inside the DSA around a vision of transforming it into an independent socialist party. Members have openly commemorated figures from communist revolutions, including the Spanish Civil War, Russian Civil War, Chinese Long March, and Cuban Revolution. The caucus advocates overthrowing the U.S. constitutional order to establish a democratic socialist republic.

Bread & Roses, holding three NPC seats, pushes for a transitional socialist government involving redistribution, expropriation, and democratic reform of state institutions. Its statements acknowledge that “no ruling class has ever peacefully ceded power,” implying the need for popular mobilizations to defend such changes. The Libertarian Socialist caucus, with one NPC member, positions itself as a home for those seeking communism through anti-state socialist means, with one leader declaring: “Our goal is liberation. Our goal is communism.”

These ideological commitments extend to elected officials. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a DSA member who won his position on a democratic socialist platform, has championed policies including abolishing prisons, ending deportations, Medicare for All, and federal job guarantees. Other DSA figures have maintained public support for communist ideology on social media, expressing sympathy for Soviet-era figures and Marxist theory.

This shift marks a departure from the Democratic Party’s historical mainstream, which under leaders like John F. Kennedy emphasized anti-communist stances and market-oriented policies. DSA caucuses explicitly dismiss reforming capitalism into socialism, insisting it must be overthrown. Critics argue this influence risks importing failed 20th-century ideologies into American governance, potentially through candidates who run as Democrats while advancing revolutionary goals.

Supporters within the DSA frame these positions as necessary responses to inequality and corporate power. They point to recent NYC wins as proof that voters in major cities are receptive to such platforms. However, the explicit self-identification with communism by caucus leaders and members raises questions about the direction of the broader progressive wing of the Democratic Party, especially as DSA-endorsed candidates gain traction in primaries nationwide.

President Trump has warned that such developments pose a threat amid rising global challenges, including from communist regimes. The contrast drawn by some media figures between “democratic socialism” and communism overlooks the self-professed Marxist-Leninist and communist statements emerging directly from DSA leadership. With the party’s NPC increasingly dominated by these revolutionary caucuses, the embrace of full communism among segments of Democratic-aligned activists appears more than rhetorical.

The trend underscores deepening ideological divides. While DSA members operate within Democratic structures, their platforms prioritize class struggle and systemic replacement over traditional liberal reforms. As these voices gain electoral footholds, particularly in urban centers, the implications for policy on issues like criminal justice, immigration, healthcare, and economic structure could intensify. Fact-checking confirms the caucus statements and affiliations through DSA records and public platforms, distinguishing factual self-descriptions from partisan spin. The rise reflects a deliberate strategy among some left activists to mainstream communist ideas under socialist branding.