Conservative Journalism Giant Norman Podhoretz Dead at 95

Norman Podhoretz, a towering figure in conservative intellectual life and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President George W. Bush, passed away Tuesday night at the age of 95, leaving behind a legacy that helped shape modern American conservatism.

For more than three decades—from 1960 to 1995—Podhoretz served as editor-in-chief of Commentary, the influential Jewish political and cultural magazine that became a cornerstone of serious conservative thought during the Cold War and beyond. After stepping down, he remained editor-at-large until his death, continuing to influence debate, culture, and policy well into his later years.

In a deeply personal obituary published by Commentary, his son John Podhoretz—now the magazine’s editor—paid tribute to his father’s lifelong devotion to ideas, language, and intellectual rigor.

“What you really need to know is that what mattered most to him was writing. Great writing. Good writing. Clear writing. Honest writing. He was the most literate man I have ever known, possessed of an encyclopedic knowledge of the written word in our time and in times past, who found true moral, intellectual, and aesthetic purpose in the act of reading and deciphering and comprehending. And he was himself a prose stylist of magnificence,” John Podhoretz wrote.

“He often quipped that he would forgive any insult if the person delivering it also said he was a good writer. He was a man of great wit and a man of deep wisdom and he lived an astonishing and uniquely American life. And he bound himself fast to his people, his heritage, and his history. His knowledge extended beyond literature to Jewish history, Jewish thinking, Jewish faith, and the Hebrew Bible, with all of which he was intimately familiar and ever fascinated. He made the life of the mind a joyous sport,” he continued.

Reflecting on his father’s journey and legacy, Podhoretz added:

“Through his nine-plus decades journeying f[r]om Brooklyn poverty to Manhattan comfort, he fathered and raised four children, 13 grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren. Though the memory is green, I believe his work and his lineage will serve to honor the astonishing contributions he made to the world he has left.”

Podhoretz’s passing prompted an outpouring of tributes from across the conservative world, with many crediting him as a defining intellectual force of the postwar era.

Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt wrote on X, “A punch in the stomach today to open X and see that Norman Podhoretz had died. Those old enough to remember will know he was an intellectual giant and in the front rank of those who refused to accept that the Evil Empire could not be defeated. He and William F. Buckley rallied the Right to seriousness and propelled Ronald Reagan to the White House. Every generation needs heroes of the mind and among the intellectuals. Norman Podhoretz was one the very few men who help turn history with words.”

David Wolpe, Max Webb Emeritus Rabbi, reflected on Podhoretz’s early years, writing, “Norman Podhoretz passed away. A major figure in Jewish and cultural life in the last century. He & my father were counselors together at Camp Ramah in Wisconsin in the late 40’s, my late father on the right & Norman on the left. Deepest condolences to Podhoretz.”

Fox News legal contributor Andy McCarthy wrote, “Norman Podhoretz was a giant. A great man of letters, as his son @jpodhoretz. so eloquently points in starting his moving tribute today. A great man of ideas. A visionary. I’ll miss his graciousness, as I miss Midge’s. Happily, he passed knowing Commentary is in worthy hands.”

Caroline Glick, an international affairs advisor to the Prime Minister of Israel, also paid tribute, stating, “Norman Podhoretz was a giant. He was a prophet of freedom and peace through strength and an intellectual leader. I was lucky to know him and humanity was blessed to have him among us. May his memory and that of his extraordinary wife Midge Decter be blessed and may his children and grandchildren find comfort among the mourners of Zion.”

Norman Podhoretz’s influence extended far beyond journalism. As a leading voice of anti-communism, moral clarity, and Western resolve, he helped shape the ideas that guided a generation of conservative leaders and thinkers—and, ultimately, the course of American history.