President Donald Trump’s second term is already generating a wide range of perspectives. A new book by former United States attorney Barbara McQuade arrives at a timely moment, offering not only her view of the current administration but also what she describes as a continuing pattern of threats to American democracy.
Her argument is laid out in “The Fix: Saving America from the Corruption of a Mob-Style Government,” which she began writing shortly after Trump’s reelection.
McQuade told “Closer Look” host Rose Scott that many actions she observed from the administration resembled tactics she once prosecuted.
“It’s important to label things if we want to fix them,” she said. “So many of the things I saw reminded me of techniques used by criminals, corrupt public officials, con men, or people involved in organized crime: extortion, fraud, intimidation.”
She pointed to examples such as the dismissal of the indictment against former New York Mayor Eric Adams while allegedly keeping the case open to pressure him into supporting Trump’s immigration agenda. She also cited executive orders targeting law firms and universities, along with lawsuits against media organizations — actions she described as “frivolous in my opinion,” but intended to silence critics and “send a message that anybody who is a critic could be next.”
