David Horowitz, longtime conservative icon, passes away

David Horowitz, a prominent conservative commentator, author, and activist who made a dramatic political shift from Marxism to the political right, died on Tuesday at the age of 86, according to the David Horowitz Freedom Center, the think tank he founded.

Horowitz passed away after a long battle with cancer, the center announced in a statement on X. "On behalf of the David Horowitz Freedom Center, we are very saddened to announce the passing of the Center’s founder, David Horowitz," the post read.

Born in Queens, New York, Horowitz earned his bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a master’s from the University of California, Berkeley. He initially rose to prominence in the 1960s as a left-wing radical before becoming one of the conservative movement’s fiercest voices.

His son, Benjamin Horowitz, co-founder of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, shared a tribute on social media highlighting his father’s work in media, politics, and publishing. The post mentioned Horowitz’s outspoken support for President Donald Trump and recalled a personal exchange between the two.

When Benjamin met Trump last year and mentioned his father, “President Trump’s face immediately lit up and he insisted that Benjamin get David on the phone immediately,” the obituary reads. “Hospitalized and weak, David was still delighted to speak with the President.”

Horowitz is survived by his wife, April Mullvain, his fourth wife, two sons, Benjamin and Jonathan, and a daughter, Anne. His daughter Sarah Rose died in 2008.

“In the end, David helped countless people and expended every fiber of his being pushing society toward freedom,” the family’s statement read. “He may not have saved the world, but he most certainly made it a better place, especially for us. He was our superhero, and we will love him forever.”