ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for (someone or something)

Someone or something, especially a business, enterprise, organization, etc., is facing impending or imminent ruin or failure. It comes from a paraphrase of a quote from the poet John Donne, which in full reads, "And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee." As the Internet and digital media continue to grow in size and dominance, ask not for whom the bell tolls—it tolls for print-based businesses around the world. More and more evidence has been unearthed regarding the senator's involvement in the embezzlement scandal. Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for him.