A Hate Murder in Orange County Exposes Growth of Neo-Nazism

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KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 10 February 2026

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Since Donald Trump broke into the political scene in 2015, the United States has seen a surge in white supremacist hate groups. Investigative journalist Eric Lichtblau uses the 2018 murder of a gay, Jewish college student by a neo-Nazi in Orange County to explore the rise of white, Christian nationalism there – digging into how Trump’s attacks on immigrants, pardons of the January 6th rioters and use of racism memes have fueled and emboldened right wing extremism in California and across the country. We talk to him about his new book “American Reich.” Guests: Eric Lichtblau, investigative reporter; author, "American Reich: A Murder in Orange County, Neo-Nazis, and a New Age of Hate" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:33.9	From KQED.
0:37.5	This is Forum. I'm Scott Schaefer in Formina Kim.
0:41.5	Well, since Donald Trump broke into the political scene in 2015, the United States has seen a huge surge of white supremacism and neo-Nazi hate groups.
0:50.9	Our guest today, investigative journalist Eric Lishblow, uses the 2018 murder of a gay
0:55.9	Jewish college student by a neo-Nazi in Orange County to explore the rise of white Christian
1:01.6	nationalism there, digging into how Trump's attacks on immigrants, pardons of the January 6th rioters,
1:07.8	and use of racist memes like the one he posted just recently about the
1:11.5	Obamas have fueled and emboldened right-wing extremism in California and across the country.
1:17.5	His new book is titled American Reich Murder in Orange County, Neo-Nazis, and a New Age of Hate.
1:24.3	Eric Lishblow, welcome to form.
1:26.1	Thanks for having me, Scott.
1:29.3	Well, this is your fourth book. One of them was a bestseller titled The Nazis Next Door, which explores how after World
1:35.3	War II the U.S. became sort of a refuge for former Nazis.
1:38.3	You started this book, American Reich, in 2020 during the pandemic.
1:42.3	What drew you to Orange County for your research, for your investigation?
1:47.0	Well, I was looking for a place that perhaps might surprise people for its racism and, you know, the surge in hate crimes here.
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