American Communist Party (2024)

The American Communist Party (ACP) is a Marxist–Leninist political party in the United States and Canada. ACP formed in 2024 when its members split from the Communist Party USA (CPUSA).

Two notable founders of ACP, Jackson Hinkle and Haz Al-Din,^[3] are known for the populist tactic of MAGA Communism, which has been accused of being a syncretic ideology combining right-wing populism with Marxism.^[5][8] However, Al-Din maintains it is a provocative political slogan and strategy aiming to consolidate working-class supporters of Donald Trump away from false consciousness and into communism rather than a distinct ideology.^[9]

From 2022 to 2024, a group of self-described anti-revisionist Marxist–Leninists led by Infrared streamer Haz Al-Din attempted to join and remake the Communist Party USA (CPUSA), accusing the party of revisionism and supporting the Democratic Party.^[5][10] In May 2024, the 32nd CPUSA National Convention passed Resolution 5, which supported a "broad front to defeat Trump, Trumpism, and the MAGA Republicans".^[11]

In July 2024, the Infrared-led group split from the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) and created the American Communist Party (ACP). ACP opposed CPUSA's support for the Democrats and claimed that CPUSA had violated democratic centralism by suppressing opposition at its 32nd National Convention.^[12][13] Founders included Jackson Hinkle,^[3][14] Haz Al-Din,^[3][15] and former Party of Communists USA (PCUSA) leader and International Freedom Battalion volunteer Christopher Helali.^[12] Hinkle had previously stated that he had been expelled from CPUSA.^[16] CPUSA leadership claimed that Hinkle had never joined the party, beyond signing up for their newsletter, and that Hinkle did not reflect modern CPUSA values.^[16]

At its founding, ACP claimed that 26 CPUSA and PCUSA clubs had changed their affiliations to the new party.^[17] CPUSA leadership denied this,^[17][18] and at least 7 CPUSA clubs listed as signing ACP's founding declaration denied doing so on their official social media accounts.^[17] ACP responded to these denunciations stating that "These accounts are controlled by individuals acting on behalf of the Sims clique, not by authentic representatives of the clubs themselves. Their responses were ordered directly by the Sims clique, down to the wording".^[17] CPUSA later called the ACP "a small [and] exclusively online movement", and accused the party of being influenced by "Russian National Bolshevism" and representing a "red-brown alliance".^[18][19]

In August 2024, ACP joined the World Anti-Imperialist Platform (WAP).^[20]

In November 2024, in Orange County, Vermont, ACP's International Secretary Christopher Helali won a write-in campaign for high bailiff,^[21][22] a largely ceremonial position,^[23] with 5% turnout.^[24][25] This makes Helali the only elected communist party member in the United States,^[21][22] as CPUSA member Denise Winebrenner Edwards' final term as Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania Borough Council member ended in January 2024. In December 2024, during the 8th Organizing Conference of the DPRK International Solidarity Group (DPRK ISG), Helali and representatives of the Communist Party of Tajikistan and the DPRK ISG signed an agreement on mutual assistance and cooperation. This agreement provides for joint educational, cultural, and political events, exchanges of delegations, as well as cooperation of efforts within the framework of international initiatives.^[26]

In 2024, ACP's think tank the Institute for a Free America hosted the Free America to Free Palestine event in Dearborn, Michigan, which attracted controversy for its unique mixture of anti-Zionist, pro-Russia, and MAGA rhetoric.^[27][28]

In February 2025, ACP leaders Al-Din, Hinkle, and Helali attended the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah, the third Secretary-General of Hezbollah, as ACP representatives.^[29][30]

ACP identifies as a Marxist–Leninist party.^[12][31] The official ideology that the ACP endorses is referred to as the "Unified Tendency of Marxism–Leninism", which they have described as encompassing several communist theories, including Xi Jinping Thought.^[32] The party holds a positive view on Joseph Stalin and Stalinism.^[3]

ACP's program calls for the nationalization of large corporations, the cancellation of all debts both public and private, the adoption of an Economic Bill of Rights, the abolition of the Federal Reserve in favor of a "People’s National Bank", "AI-driven national economic planning", a right to refuse vaccination, an end to "mass immigration" in favor of "bilateral frameworks for the negotiation of population exchanges on a rational and planned basis", a ban on genetically modified food, "compulsory military training" in People's Militias, and the abolition of sex work.^[33]

ACP has expressed Pan-Americanist sentiments, calling for the creation of a "Continental People’s Congress" that would be tasked with reconstituting the United States and Canada into "One United Republic".^[33] The party has published statements expressing its opposition to fascism and what they describe as "the fascist crackdown on free speech" in the United States.^{[34] [35]} ACP founders Jackson Hinkle and Haz Al-Din had previously called for banning “ANTIFA Street Terrorism”.^[3]

ACP has been described by The Free Press as a MAGA Communist party.^[3] MAGA Communism has been accused of being a socially conservative syncretic ideology that is anti-feminist,^[3][36] anti-queer,^[5][36] denialist of climate change,^[8][36] and in favor of tax cuts.^[36] American author Alexander Reid Ross labelled MAGA Communism "a deranged fringe movement that doesn’t really have a great deal of articulation".^[5] ACP leadership has made statements that have been regarded as transphobic and anti-effeminate men: Hinkle stated that "we need to protect our youth from trans terrorists and propagandists",^[5][3] while Al-Din has said that his movement is not "against women", but opposes the "effeminization" of men.^[5]

ACP has fielded electoral candidates for local offices in the United States. ACP candidates usually run as Independent candidates; ACP has won one local office.

• American Left
• Communist Party USA
• Democratic Socialists of America
• Militarized Communist Party of Peru

• Official website