Charlie Kirk, conservative icon, fearless champion of debate and leader of a powerful youth movement, is being mourned today by Americans across the political spectrum—those who agreed with him and those with whom he fiercely disagreed.

I mourn Charlie too, as a friend and as someone who played a crucial role in helping me realize my vision for a modern Newsweek. When I first met Charlie in early 2019, I had just taken over as owner and CEO of Newsweek, a publication that had lost its ability to connect with the vast majority of Americans, the foundation of its business model for nearly 90 years. Its recent reputation for unyielding liberal bias had alienated readers, writers, and thought leaders with differing views. I wanted to reposition the brand as a platform that would welcome all Americans to the search for common ground through vigorous, civil debate.

Charlie was one of the few conservative figures who were willing to engage with Newsweek at that time. He embraced the idea from the moment I discussed it with him. Not only did he support my vision, he put skin in the game, working for us as columnist and advocating for Newsweek among suspicious conservatives and moderates. It was a tough task. We didn’t want Newsweek to be a conservative publication and continued to publish many strong liberal points of view, as we do today. And Newsweek faced furious pushback from the industry for platforming conservatives in the first place.

Charlie stuck with us as he went from rising star, to mega star to conservative icon. And we at Newsweek persisted and prevailed. Much of what Newsweek is widely known for today—its large audience, “The Debate” on our homepage, the “fairness meter” on our stories and our meteoric growth—can be traced back to those pivotal decisions and the support and trust of a few courageous people. Charlie Kirk was one of them.

I didn’t always agree with Charlie. I know my colleagues at Newsweek disagreed emphatically with some of his positions. But we all agreed with him on the core virtue and value of respectful debate. It’s a cause he championed passionately, brilliantly, often provocatively and always with a smile. Charlie and his young family have paid a terrible price for his belief in good faith debate. For others who share that belief this is a moment of deep sorrow and of deep resolve.

Thank you, Charlie. May you rest in peace!