Democracy Dies critiques the collusion of corporate power, media, and authoritarian politics. A manipulated Washington Post masthead dated January 20, 2025—Trump’s second inauguration—shows its slogan “Democracy Dies in Darkness” violently redacted, symbolizing silenced dissent. A Sharpie above the frame evokes Trump’s executive overreach. Text references Amazon’s $1M donation to Trump, Bezos’s $40M deal with Melania, and his memo censoring Post opinion pieces, prompting an editor’s resignation. Decorative floral motifs and wallpaper suggest domestic normalcy, contrasting with themes of control and complicity, while the bound wire figure conveys constraint, surveillance, and the erosion of democratic ideals.