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Seven Stories Press

Works of Radical Imagination

The Fix

Saving America from the Corruption of a Mob-Style Government

by Barbara McQuade

Book cover for The Fix
Book cover for The Fix

New York Times bestselling author and former U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade offers a piercing, urgent, and deeply informed exposé on the escalating threat of far-right politics to American democracy and national security—and a clear roadmap for how to stop it.

In The Fix, Barbara McQuade draws on her decades of experience as a federal prosecutor to show us the detrimental effects of a government that uses corruption, cruelty, and chaos as tools of control. Eye-opening and grounded in the author's abiding faith in the US Constitution to help restore power to the people, The Fix is essential reading for anyone concerned about the future of America and ready to work together to take it back.

As a US Attorney, McQuade became all too familiar with corruption cases, prosecuting former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, the “underwear bomber” Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, and Volkswagen, among others. Here, she exposes how rampant corruption and cruelty are being weaponized to manipulate every facet of American life. Weaving together courtroom stories, lessons from history, and real-time legal analysis, McQuade shows how each corrupt offense, each act of cruelty, is a step toward total authoritarianism.

Yet The Fix is not just a critique of power gone awry. McQuade offers clear strategies that ordinary Americans can utilize, from organizing teach-ins and protests to running for local office, to reclaim the rule of law and ensure that elected officials serve the public's interest, not their own.

Book cover for The Fix
Book cover for The Fix

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June02

Tuesday, June 2, 2026
7:00 PM-8:00 PM

Parkway Central Library
1901 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA,...

Philadelphia, PA
7.00pm
Parkway Central Library
June03

Wednesday, June 3, 2026
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Brattle Theater
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Cambridge, MA, 02138...

Cambridge, MA
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June04

Thursday, June 4, 2026
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Politics & Prose
5015 Connecticut Avenue Northwest
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Washington, DC
7.00pm
Politics & Prose
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“Prosecuting organized crime taught Barbara McQuade how to recognize key Trump behaviors. If we want the rule of law, her recommendations are a good place to start.”

“"Nice book you got here, McQuade . . . be a shame if anything happened to it. The Fix is in. Barbara McQuade exposes Donald Trump's gangsterism and mastery of corruption and cruelty. More importantly, McQuade gives us the tools to take power back from this weak strongman and put it where it belongs—with we, the people. And we, the people need to act. Now.”

“In these disorienting times, Barbara McQuade has performed the extraordinary service of seeing the truth clearly, prosecuting the case against Donald Trump’s corrupt pursuit of wealth and power, and offering deeply informed ideas for how to. overcome authoritarianism through mobilization. The Fix is a powerful guide to what has gone wrong in our democracy and how to reclaim power from a strongman.”

“With The Fix, Barb McQuade has somehow managed to produce a book that is both uplifting and pragmatic, one that is sorely needed in this moment but will continue to be a worthy guide for years to come. She draws upon history and the experience of other nations to not only diagnose what ails us but to realistically prescribe what can fix us. It’s a republic, and we can keep it.”

“Drawing on her years as a federal prosecutor, Barb McQuade confronts a sobering question: what happens when those in power govern like a crime syndicate? Blending courtroom stories with sharp political analysis and historical insight, she reveals how rampant corruption, disinformation, and retribution corrode institutions from within—and how the rule of law can still prevail. With clear-eyed reforms and practical strategies for civic action, The Fix is essential reading for anyone determined to safeguard American democracy and save our country.”

Barbara McQuade

Barbara McQuade is a professor at the University of Michigan Law School, where she teaches criminal law and national security law. She is also a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC. From 2010 to 2017,  McQuade served as the U.S Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. She was appointed by President Barack Obama, and was the first woman to serve in her position. McQuade also served as vice chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and co-chaired its Terrorism and National Security Subcommittee.

Before her appointment as U.S. Attorney, McQuade served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Detroit for 12 years, including service as Deputy Chief of the National Security Unit. In that role, she prosecuted cases involving terrorism financing, foreign agents, threats, and export violations. McQuade serves on a number of non-profit boards, and served on the Biden-Harris Transition Team in 2020-2021. She has been recognized by The Detroit News with the Michiganian of the Year Award, the Detroit Free Press with the Neal Shine Award for Exemplary Regional Leadership, Crain's Detroit Business as a Newsmaker of the Year and one of Detroit's Most Influential Women, and the Detroit Branch NAACP and Arab American Civil Rights League with their Tribute to Justice Award. McQuade is a graduate of the University of Michigan and its law school. She and her husband live in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and have four children.