America is on fire. Democracy is smoldering before our very eyes, and it’s not the “woke mob” or leftist agenda holding the match. No, it’s the reckless, power-hungry billionaires and political cronies who have hijacked our government and sacrificed our freedoms. I’m calling out the ringleaders—Donald Trump, Elon Musk and JD Vance—along with every so-called leader in Washington, DC, too spineless to do anything about it.

My husband, Larry Flynt, was a man who never backed down from a fight no matter how powerful his opponent. His legs may have been paralyzed, but his fighting spirit was never crippled. He faced court battles and death threats because he believed that freedom—the raw, unfiltered kind that makes America truly great—is worth fighting for. Larry would never have tolerated the parade of greed and arrogance trampling over our rights. Where is that spirit now? Where is a leader with the guts to stand up to Trump and stop this madness?

Donald Trump has turned his supporters into a cult. He peddles conspiracy theories and blatant lies that weaken the very foundation of our country. And what do we hear from the majority of Democrats? Silence. While Trump and his minions steamroll over human rights and dignity— the very characteristics that make America great.

Take head minion Elon Musk—a multibillionaire gleefully tearing down the remnants of free speech on his social media platform while cozying up to authoritarian ideals. Musk, who fancies himself a messianic tech savior, is nothing more than a modern-day robber baron, wielding his wealth like a bludgeon.

Then there’s JD Vance, whose transformation from Hillbilly Elegy to political sycophant would be laughable if it weren’t so tragic. He’s just another foot soldier in the campaign to shred American values, trading in authenticity for a spot on the power ladder.

But they’re not the only culprits. Our Democratic politicians act paralyzed. Why is everyone so afraid of Trump—the emperor who has no clothes? Why are Democrats allowing themselves to be bulldozed while our freedoms are steadily stripped away? The party’s complacency is killing us. Democrats are sitting on their hands while the opposition dismantles democracy brick by brick in order to build a new form of government under corporate control. Americans are more divided, more polarized and more hopeless than ever— and it’s because those in power have forgotten that real leadership means risking it all for what’s right.

In his first months in office, Trump has already attempted to do an end run around the Impoundment Control Act (blocking funds appropriated by Congress); ignored judicial orders and suggested impeachment of those judges who have throttled him; eviscerated whole departments of the federal government; threatened military action against friendly allies Canada, Mexico, Danish Greenland and Panama; erratically imposed and rescinded tariffs; nixed funding for universities and research facilities he perceives as liberal; threatened to deport American citizens; and crushed our rights to free speech.

Larry Flynt wouldn’t have cowered. He would have boldly challenged the hypocrisy and held the powerful accountable. We need that spirit now. We need to fight while there’s still something left worth fighting for.

It’s time for Americans to wake up. We can’t let billionaires and power-hungry politicians destroy what countless generations fought and died to enact and protect. We need voices that won’t be silenced, leaders like Cory Booker, Al Green, Bernie Sanders and Jasmine Crockett, who have wisely refused to stay quiet. These are not normal times! We need to stop romanticizing decorum and civility when our freedoms are at stake. If we don’t rise up now, we
might as well kiss democracy goodbye and admit defeat.

The America that Larry Flynt believed in—the one that didn’t back down, didn’t cower and didn’t tolerate tyranny—is slipping through our fingers. We owe it to ourselves, to future generations and to the very concept of freedom to rise to this challenge. Where is Larry Flynt when we need him? We’re all going to have to find that fire within ourselves if we want democracy to survive.

Liz Flynt
Publisher