If Americans could work up enough outrage about Communists, it might work. But I don’t think they can. They been getting desensitized for a loooooong time, now. Calling someone a Nazi is sometimes effective. Calling them a Communist won’t work; not even if they have a membership card.
It would work. Just have to take a different approach. I wouldn’t condemn it. I would praise them for their ideology and encourage them to tell us more how we should be like the Soviets.
And when they start shouting that they are being called Communists, I would step back and ask why is that such a bad thing if they are in fact one.
I wouldn’t let them play that victimhood card. This is what you are, you carry the card, why hide it? Because if you are hiding what you are, then we have an issue.