David Horowitz, a prominent conservative commentator, author, and activist who founded the David Horowitz Freedom Center, died Tuesday at age 86 after a lengthy battle with cancer.
The conservative think tank announced his passing, noting he died after battling the illness. Horowitz began his political life as a Marxist and figure in the New Left before becoming a leading voice for conservatism in the United States.
Born in Queens, New York, Horowitz earned a bachelor of arts from Columbia University and a master’s from the University of California, Berkeley. He was involved with the radical magazine Ramparts in his youth.
His political views shifted dramatically in the late 1970s and early 1980s, influenced by his observations of communist regimes and the rise of Ronald Reagan. This transformation led him to become a vocal critic of the left and a supporter of conservative principles. He detailed this change in his book Radical Son and organized the "Second Thoughts Conference" for other former leftists.
Through the David Horowitz Freedom Center, he published FrontPage magazine and initiated various campaigns opposing what he described as leftist indoctrination and anti-Americanism. He also became an advocate for Christianity later in his life.
Horowitz faced criticism for his work, particularly his rhetoric concerning Islam and Palestinians. The Southern Poverty Law Center labeled his organization an 'anti-Muslim' hate group, citing campaigns like "Islamofascism Awareness Week," which critics contended promoted fear-mongering and hate speech.
He was a supporter of President Trump, and according to an obituary shared by his son, Benjamin Horowitz, he spoke with the president by phone while he was hospitalized last year.
Horowitz is survived by his wife, April Mullvain, sons Benjamin and Jonathan, and daughter Anne. His daughter Sarah Rose died in 2008. Mullvain is his fourth wife.
According to the obituary shared by his son, “In the end, David helped countless people and expended every fiber of his being pushing society towards freedom. He may not have saved the world, but he most certainly made it a better place — especially for us. He was our super hero and we will love him forever.”
