Is Trump Really Just a Mob Boss? | Former U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade

Former U.S. attorney and University of Michigan law professor Barbara McQuade spent decades prosecuting organized crime, corrupt officials and con men. In her new book, "The Fix: Saving America from the Corruption of a Mob-Style Government," she makes the case that what's happening in Washington right now looks very familiar. In this episode of Defending Democracy, Marc Elias sits down with McQuade to break down how Trump has turned the Department of Justice into a tool of political retribution, why major law firms and media companies caved to White House pressure and what everyday Americans can do to fight back. Subscribe to our free newsletters or upgrade to support our work: https://bit.ly/3OK7w4A Buy Barbara McQuade's book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo... 1:30 Trump turned DOJ into a tool of retribution 4:00 Term one vs. term two: How Trump learned to weaponize DOJ 7:04 Todd Blanche knows better. He just doesn't care. 12:12 Why is Manhattan's top prosecutor talking about California election fraud? 15:46 Trump's mob playbook: Inflict pain, coerce compliance, amass power 19:39 Why did big law firms capitulate to Trump? 24:37 How Sisters in Law became one of America's most important podcasts 27:49 Why the media caved — and what it costs democracy 31:21 How to fight back: What every American can do right now Democracy Docket is the leading digital news platform covering voting rights and elections in the courts — from an unapologetically pro-democracy and independent standpoint. Covering election and voting litigation is central to our mission. But today’s battles over democracy — access to voting, gerrymandering, executive overreach, the rule of law and more — also play out in Congress, in the Trump administration and in states around the country. As Trump and his GOP allies work to dismantle our democracy, we’re committed to exposing the threats through in-depth reporting and expert analysis you won't find anywhere else. Catch up on our latest reporting: https://www.democracydocket.com/ Sign up for our free newsletters: https://bit.ly/3OK7w4A Follow us: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/democracydoc... X: https://x.com/DemocracyDocket Facebook:   / democracydocket   Instagram:   / democracydocket   Reddit:   / democracydocket   TikTok:   / democracydocket