David Horowitz, Author and Founder of the David Horowitz Freedom Center, Has Died at the Age of 86

David Horowitz, author and founder of the David Horowitz Freedom Center, has died following a battle with cancer. He was 86 years old.

Horowitz was a former Leftist and author of 'Radical Son', where he recounts his political shift to the Right.

On behalf of the David Horowitz Freedom Center, we are very saddened to announce the passing of the Center’s founder, David Horowitz. After a lengthy battle with cancer, David passed yesterday at the age of 86.

David Horowitz, 1939-2025. Requiescat in pace. pic.twitter.com/F47yooJL3K
— David Horowitz (@horowitz39) April 29, 2025

Horowitz's son, Benjamin, remembered his father.

Here is what I wrote:https://t.co/LoTZce8gha
— benahorowitz.eth (@bhorowitz) April 30, 2025

It's a lovely tribute that reads, in part:

In 1998, he also founded The Horowitz Freedom Center, where he recruited an inspired group of new young intellectuals to join his cause. The name 'Freedom Center' meant much more than most ever understood. While David became known for his change in views, in a sense he never changed at all. His personal style represented the place and community from which he came. Even when he wore a suit, he looked like a radical forced into it due to a court date or a wedding. More importantly, his mission to save the world centered around freedom. When David went to rescue people, it was always from oppression imposed by some person or group. Early on, he had been trained to think the rich capitalists were the oppressors. His political change came from the realization that his side was doing the oppressing. Protected by the guise of being 'for the people', the Panthers took Betty’s life. The progressives left millions to die of AIDS, so they could preserve their leadership positions. His former friends on the Left brutally excommunicated him from all their social relationships to reign power over him. It became clear that to fight for freedom, he had to be on the right and so the Freedom Center was born.
From the Freedom Center, he published thousands of high impact articles and books. He understood the systematic implications of seemingly benign cultural changes and used that knowledge to predict much of the future. Notably, he precisely forecast the intense campus antisemitism of 2024 in his book The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America published in 2006.

What always stood out to me was that David Horowitz was one of the very few serious intellectuals—alongside people like Phyllis Schlafly and Victor Davis Hanson—who wasn’t afraid to support Trump, and did so loudly, proudly, and without apology. RIP.
— Hans Mahncke (@HansMahncke) April 30, 2025

Quite the honor.

This was an amazing man… articulative in every way possible, especially when it came to an awakening against Leftist propaganda and policy. May you rest easy, sir. 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) April 30, 2025

Horowitz often accused the Republican Party of bringing a Nerf gun to a nuclear war.

Rest in peace to my friend and mentor David Horowitz, who has just passed away. A fearless truth-teller, David was a titan in the battle of ideas and a warrior for Western civilization.

David grew up on the hard Left and remained a committed Marxist into his 30s. But he had the… pic.twitter.com/7QucnlO1Lf
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) April 29, 2025

The entire post is long, but here's part of it:

David grew up on the hard Left and remained a committed Marxist into his 30s. But he had the rare courage to question everything, and ultimately reject the radicalism of his youth to become one of the most influential conservative thinkers of our time.
Without David Horowitz, I’m not sure Turning Point USA would exist. David was a lifelong crusader and maverick for the conservative cause. A former communist turned fierce anti-left advocate, he dedicated his life to confronting the ideologies he once embraced.
Over 90% of our earliest major donors were introduced at a David Horowitz event—thanks to his warm endorsements and generous introductions. His support opened doors that would have otherwise remained closed.
David always believed in me and in Turning Point USA. He saw our campus movement as a rebirth of freedom—the kind of revival he long hoped to see. We spoke often by phone, and he remained a trusted teacher and mentor throughout my journey.

Once again, read the entire thing.

I hosted David Horowitz at UC-San Diego 15 years ago- May 10th, 2010 - and the event went viral after a female member of the pro-Palestine group agreed she’s “for it” - a Second Holocaust. Years later, his exchange with my former classmate continues to go viral.

He was a former… https://t.co/Gt56VS4G4a pic.twitter.com/qBjt6sUFdj
— Gabriella Hoffman (@Gabby_Hoffman) April 29, 2025

What an exchange.

David Horowitz had a long intellectual journey that was never short on controversy. He was a fearless provocateur & a bracing polemicist. RIP. May his memory be a blessing. https://t.co/pfRAMpb7sI
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) April 30, 2025

Amen.

David Horowitz, my dear friend and ally, passed away.

David was an American hero, a giant, a warrior for freedom, one of the bravest patriots I have ever met.

We will miss you David.

Condolences to his family, friends and to America.

May his memory be a blessing. https://t.co/Guv0kJhsZO pic.twitter.com/943m5gyG9A
— Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) April 30, 2025

Well said.

David’s memoir of leaving the left, “Radical Son,” is still one of the most gripping autobiographical works I’ve ever read. No book is as good at describing what the left really is. Read it to remember David and get copies for your friends. https://t.co/gtngmMDaxR
— Yoram Hazony (@yhazony) April 30, 2025

According to Fox News, Horowitz is survived by his wife, April Mullvain, sons Benjamin and Jonathan, and daughter Anne. His other daughter, Sarah Rose, passed away in 2008.

Our condolences to Horowitz's family and loved ones. May his memory be a blessing.