JD Vance endorsed a book calling far-left 'unhumans,' and praising fascists | The Excerpt

On Thursday’s episode of The Excerpt podcast: USA TODAY Domestic Security Correspondent Josh Meyer takes a closer look at Sen. JD Vance's blurb in a controversial book . Illinois Governor JB Pritzker is calling for Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell to resign after the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey. Taylor Swift's Vienna concerts have been canceled after a planned terrorist attack. USA TODAY Consumer Travel Reporter Kathleen Wong talks about Lahaina's recovery one year after deadly fires . The Olympics roll on with big events from track & field to basketball Thursday. Here's a look at the latest medal count.

Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.

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Taylor Wilson:

Good morning, I'm Taylor Wilson, and today is Thursday, August 8th, 2024. This is The Excerpt. Today, a closer look at the controversial book endorsed by J.D. Vance. Plus, the governor of Illinois calls for a county sheriff to resign in the wake of Sonya Massey's killing. And we check in on Maui one year after horrifying fires.

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Former President Donald Trump's choice for running mate, J.D. Vance, endorsed a book calling the far-left "Unhumans" and praising fascist dictators. I spoke with USA TODAY, Domestic Security Correspondent Josh Meyer to learn more. Hey there, Josh.

Josh Meyer:

Hey, Taylor.

Taylor Wilson:

So Josh, let's just start with this. What is this really controversial book called Unhumans?

Josh Meyer:

The official title is Unhumans: the Secret History of Communist Revolutions and How to Crush Them. And it's by high-profile, far-right extremist named Jack Posobiec and a ghostwriter. And it basically, depending on who you ask, praises, fascist dictators for violently suppressing leftists or as the book calls them "unhumans" throughout history. It goes back about 250 years and it does go through some of the worst of the communist crackdowns on people.

Taylor Wilson:

And as you writing this piece, Josh, Vice Presidential Candidate J.D. Vance, has ties to this book. He wrote a blurb for it. What did he say? Just how strongly did he endorse what's in this book?

Josh Meyer:

The big controversy is that the authors, I spoke to the lead author, Jack Posobiec say, is that they're not talking about progressives, they're not talking about liberals, they're talking about communists. But at the same time, they're talking about Black Lives Matter protesters, people that disagree with anybody who rioted at the Capitol, January 6th, 2021, people that are trying to push back against takeovers of school boards and et cetera. What J.D. Vance said in that context is important. He said, quote, "In the past, communists marched in the streets waving red flags. Today, they marched through HR, college campuses and courtrooms to wage lawfare against good, honest people." And then he went on to say, "In Unhumans, the authors reveal their plans and show us what to do to fight back".

Taylor Wilson:

So you mentioned these authors, Josh, can you just fill us in a little bit more on who they are and what their backgrounds are?

Josh Meyer:

Yeah. Well, Jack Posobiec, he's been a very avid Trump supporter for years, and he rose to MAGA world fame in 2016 by advancing this conspiracy theory called Pizzagate, which claimed that falsely, of course, that Satanic Democrats were running a child sex trafficking ring out of a Washington D.C. pizzeria that led to a man storming the restaurant with an assault rifle and shooting at it. So Posobiec, who is now has a podcast and is followed by a lot of very far-right conspiracy theorists and others, Trump supporters, et cetera, he's been listed by the Southern Poverty Law Center in 2022 as an extremist who has quote, "Collaborated with white nationalists, anti-government extremists, and neo-Nazis, as well as the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, two groups that stormed the Capitol on January 6th, 2021." So he's a pretty controversial figure, and there are people questioning why J.D. Vance, even before he was tapped as a vice presidential candidate, would be endorsing this book.

Taylor Wilson:

And Josh, there's another book coming out that J.D. Vance wrote the foreword in. What's this book and what's some of the controversy surrounding that publication?

Josh Meyer:

Yeah, that book is called By Dawn's Early Light. And that's controversial as well because it's by the architect of the Project 2025, which is getting a lot of headlines these days. It's about a 900-page document that outlines how the far-right of the Republican Party, the MAGA wing of the Republican Party, can essentially demolish everything that's in the federal government and install their own people there to do what Trump wants them to do. And so Trump himself and then his campaign were trying to distance themselves from Project 2025. So it was a bit awkward when they found out that Vance wrote the foreword to the book.

Taylor Wilson:

Yeah. So what do critics really say about all this and these blurbs and J.D. Vance, Josh, what are the real concerns here?

Josh Meyer:

Well, I talked to a guy named Brian Levin, who has basically spent the last 40 years looking at political violence. And what he is saying is that this guy, Jack Posobiec, is not only somebody who has spread conspiracy theories and cast out on the integrity of the 2020 election, he said that his disinformation typically focuses on making his political opponents seem dangerous or criminal while ignoring or downplaying the corruption of authoritarians. And that as a result that could lead to political violence in this current election cycle.

Taylor Wilson:

And Josh, have we heard from Vance in defense of these pieces and the blurbs that he wrote?

Josh Meyer:

I've tried several times to reach Vance's new campaign spokesperson as well as his Senate office and the Capitol and no comment yet.

Taylor Wilson:

All right, Josh Meyer covers domestic security for USA TODAY. Great insight on this as always. Thanks Josh.

Josh Meyer:

Thanks Taylor.

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Taylor Wilson:

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker is calling for Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell to resign. In a statement Pritzker said he was calling for Campbell's resignation so the Springfield and Sangamon County community can begin to rebuild and restore trust between the citizens and the sheriff's department. The announcement comes as part of frustration with how the sheriff has responded to the shooting death of Sonya Massey. Campbell hired former Deputy Sean P. Grayson last year despite his two prior DUI convictions, Grayson has been charged by a grand jury with three counts of first degree murder after shooting Massey in her own home last month. Governor Pritzker also said it was outrageous that Campbell had yet to meet with the Massey family in the months since the killing.

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Taylor Swift's three Eras Tour concerts in Vienna were canceled after government officials confirmed a planned terrorist attack at a stadium, according to the local concert promoter yesterday. Swift had been set to perform in the Austrian capital tonight, through Saturday. Earlier yesterday, Vienna Federal Ministry of the Interior officials confirmed the arrest of two individuals who were suspected of having planned attacks at major events, including Swift's concerts. Local media, citing police sources said, "Other suspects were still on the run." Swift has performed 126 Era's Tour concerts so far, and these are her first cancellations. Other dates have been postponed due to weather. It's not the first time in recent years a concert has become a target. In 2017, a suicide bomber killed 22 people at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England.

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It's been one year since deadly wildfires tore through Maui. I spoke with USA TODAY, Consumer Travel Reporter Kathleen Wong about how local residents are coping. And what's next? Kathleen, thanks for joining me today.

Kathleen Wong:

Thank you for having me.

Taylor Wilson:

So Kathleen, I remember you and I spoke a year ago, really in the immediate aftermath of these devastating fires. Would you just remind us and our listeners what happened in this tragedy?

Kathleen Wong:

So on August 8th of last year, Maui experienced the nation's deadliest wildfire in over a century and also the deadliest ever in the state. Wildfires are not uncommon on Maui, but high winds and dry vegetation caused this fire to spread really rapidly and also grow really fast. There's also a lawsuit that just settled for $4 billion that alleges that Hawaiian Electric kept its power lines energized despite forecast of high winds so that could have exacerbated the flames. But basically the fire swept through historic Lahaina town, which is a really popular place for tourists and also a place of cultural significance. Like 2000 houses and businesses burned and thousands of locals and tourists were evacuated to emergency shelters.

During the time there was no cell service, so people couldn't contact loved ones, didn't have updates in what was happening. So it was just very chaotic, very scary. Over 100 people died from the fires and thousands of Lahaina residents were displaced and living in hotels for months. And there are also hundreds of commercial properties that were damaged and burned as well, a loss of a few billion dollars in commercial damages. And there are also fires in Kula, which is in upcountry, Maui. And some people lost their homes there as well.

Taylor Wilson:

So Kathleen, we're talking a year later, what are Lahaina and really the whole island of Maui like a year later, and just broadly, what has this fire done to the Lahaina community in the year since?

Kathleen Wong:

So life has been difficult for those affected by the fires. They've had to adjust to a new normal. And so there are some people who can't imagine their home being anywhere but Lahaina and are going to stick around for the rebuild. But there are others who are leaving Maui and the state entirely. People have had to move several times. They're struggling to find affordable long-term housing. The cost of living in Hawaii is really high and the fires only made the financial burden a lot worse. There's also a lot of struggles with mental health. They lost their community, the people they see every day, they don't have that anymore, and they don't know when or how they can rebuild their homes. So there's just a lot of uncertainty.

Taylor Wilson:

So you touched on this a bit at the top Kathleen, but what has this really meant for the economy in Lahaina and across Maui? Has there been any economic recovery and what's the latest there?

Kathleen Wong:

As you can imagine, tourism is a big part of Maui and Hawaii's economy. On Maui, tourism is involved with 70% of every dollar generated on the island. The economy has not fully recovered yet. There are less visitors since the fires. And a lot of local businesses are struggling with understaffing as people are moving far away from parts of West Maui where they work or they're leaving the state or island. And things have just been slower business-wise. Maui is still about 6,000 jobs short since the fires, and half of those are in the hospitality sector. So it is really important for travelers to support local businesses and donate or volunteer if they can.

Taylor Wilson:

And Kathleen, you do write that there are rays of hope here one year later. What are some signs of optimism that you're seeing and hearing about?

Kathleen Wong:

There's life coming back to Lahaina. So there's banana trees that are sprouting, and there's a historic banyan tree that's beginning to thrive once again, but most significantly there are streams that are starting to reflow. So Lahaina was built on a wetland. There was a royal fish pond and where the ali'i or chiefs used to live, and it was the former capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom. So it was a really abundant and vibrant place. It was actually called the Venice of the Pacific. And so to have those streams flowing once again is really encouraging for a lot of people. And they hope that the new Lahaina could be more focused on honoring that history and regenerate those wetlands.

At this point, about 98% of Lahaina's residential properties have been cleared of debris and there is construction on a handful of homes. So people are starting to rebuild and will be able to return to their home.

Taylor Wilson:

Kathleen Wong is a consumer travel reporter with USA TODAY, based in Honolulu, joining us one year after the Lahaina fires. Thank you, Kathleen.

Kathleen Wong:

Yeah, thank you so much.

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Taylor Wilson:

The Olympics roll on today in Paris and the spotlight will be on two major US track and field stars. And Noah Lyles and world record holder, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who are competing in the finals in the men's 200 meters and the women's 400-meter hurdles respectively. Plus the US men's basketball team is in action against Serbia in a semifinal matchup and beach volleyball moves into the semifinals there. As for the latest look at the medal count as we enter the game's final few days, team USA leads with 94 total medals and 27 golds. China is just two back with 25 golds followed by Australia and France. You can find the full medals' table with a link in today's show notes. And as always, USA TODAY Sports has you covered with wall-to-wall coverage of the Olympics.

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It's been just over two weeks since President Joe Biden took the extraordinary step of stepping down from the 2024 presidential race making Vice President Kamala Harris, only the second woman to ever make it to the top of a presidential ticket and the first woman of color to do so. Is America ready? Tune in after 4:00 PM Eastern Time on this feed to hear my colleague, Dana Taylor's, conversation with Amanda Litman, co-founder and co-executive director of Run for Something, as they discuss Harris' historic bid.

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And thanks for listening to The Excerpt. You can get the podcast wherever you get your audio, and if you're on a smart speaker, just ask for, "The Excerpt." I'm Taylor Wilson back tomorrow with more of The Excerpt from USA TODAY.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: JD Vance endorsed a book calling far-left 'unhumans,' and praising fascists | The Excerpt