(Reviewed by JD Jung)
#CommissionsEarned
“We have something new in American history…a political party defined by the terror if feels for its own voters, that’s the Republican party right now” – George Will
How was Donald Trump able to transform the Republican party into one that idolizes just one man? Why are his supporters intent on installing him as dictator by any means necessary? How has he been able to “normalize” racism and antisemitism? In this book, Malcolm Nance details how domestic extremists are a national threat and why we should all be afraid.
I have been following Nance for several years. As a U.S. Navy specialist in Naval Cryptology, he gained expertise in counterterrorism and intelligence. As a civilian he has studied foreign terrorism including that from the Middle East and the Russian Federation. In July 2016 he was the first in the U.S. news media to warn us about the Russian disinformation campaign in the U.S. elections. Just three days after the 2020 Presidential election, he publicly announced that we would have a “political paramilitary insurgency”; the Boogaloo Bois, Proud Boys being among the paramilitary forces.
Nance provides an evidence-based assessment of events and activities that uncovered the Trump insurgency that started well before the Jan. 6 attack. He reveals the strategic plan of the Trump insurgency movement and even some of the groups that funded the attack.
Nance goes into the history of domestic terrorism and what we have learned from individuals like Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. From his research, he explains what skills are necessary to run a well-grounded insurgent group and shows the similarities of how violent extremists in the U.S. and Middle East get radicalized. He also goes into detail about certain organizations such as the ones mentioned above as well as delving into QAnon conspiracies.
There is a lot here and Nance doesn’t just guess or simply espouse theories. He collects hard data with statistical research and analyzes it. Fortunately, Nance does suggest possible solutions, like options for breaking down domestic violent extremist groups.
If you insist on burying your head in the sand and ignore the obvious warning signs, then this book is not for you. But if you are actually concerned that democracy in the United States is in peril, then They Want to Kill Americans is a must-read.
