Hugh Hewitt: Norman Podhoretz: 1930-2025

Monday, December 22, 2025

Norman Podhoretz died last week at the age of 95.

A long-time editor of Commentary magazine was, simply put, one of the conservative intellectual giants of the last three-quarters of a century.

For me, Commentary magazine was added to National Review as my Christmas list “asks” when I was in college.

Since then, Commentary has never not been a part of my intellectual life.

It was Podhoretz’s memoir “Breaking Ranks,” that put the intellectual puzzle together for me—and how much the intellectual battles of post-World War II America mattered.

He spelled out the ideas and the fact that they had to be fought for: Communism was evil and could be contained and even defeated.

It may, or may not, be true that "No Podhoretz, no President Reagan," but that very well might be the case. He was a giant.

I never met him.

I was fortunate enough to interview him.

And I know firsthand what a great American Norman Podhoretz was.

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