Trump honours radio host Rush Limbaugh

Donald Trump’s decision to award a hugely controversial radio host the country’s highest honour has been labelled as “disgusting”.

Radio personality Rush Limbaugh reacts as First Lady Melania Trump gives him the Presidential Medal of Freedom during the State of the Union address. Picture: Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP

US President Donald Trump has used his State of the Union speech to give America’s highest civilian honour, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to controversial conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh.

The shock jock has been accused of sexism, homophobia and racism throughout his career.

The State of the Union traditionally gives the sitting US president a chance to lay out their policies and vision for the coming year.

Limbaugh, who is one of Mr Trump’s most relentless defenders and advocates in the media, was recently diagnosed with advanced lung cancer – a fact he revealed to his listeners on Tuesday.

President Trump thanked Limbaugh for his “decades of tireless devotion” to America. Picture: Nicholas Kamm, AFP

“Almost every American family knows the pain when a loved one is diagnosed with a serious illness. Here tonight is a special man, someone beloved by millions of Americans who just received a Stage 4 advanced cancer diagnosis,” Mr Trump said.

“This is not good news, but what is good news is that he is the greatest fighter and winner that you will ever meet. Rush Limbaugh, thank you for your decades of tireless devotion to our country.”

A bearded Limbaugh, seated next to First Lady Melania Trump who presented him with the medal, looked stunned as the president announced the award to the thunderous applause of republicans in the chamber of the House of Representatives.

NEW: Rush Limbaugh is presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the State of the Union.

Limbaugh revealed yesterday that he is fighting advanced lung cancer. https://t.co/z21h5Ddt05 #SOTU pic.twitter.com/00amlgbIip

— ABC News (@ABC) February 5, 2020

Notice how Democrats and Pelosi didn’t applaud or wish Rush Limbaugh well after he was diagnosed with lung cancer?

🤔

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) February 5, 2020

Pelosi and her corrupt-hate filled Democrats can’t even stand for a man fighting stage 4 lung cancer.
I’ve known Rush for 30 years and no one deserves the Medal of Freedom more than Rush Limbaugh.
He’s a 100% patriot.
Thank you @realDonaldTrump for honoring him.

— Rudy Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) February 5, 2020

Mr Trump said the award recognised the millions of people a day Limbaugh speaks to and inspires, as well as his charity work.

Few people have done more to degrade our political discourse than Rush Limbaugh. It's an absolute disgrace that he's being honored here.

— Matt Duss (@mattduss) February 5, 2020

The 69-year-old has frequently been accused of hate-filled speech, including bigotry and blatant racism, often targeted at former President Barack Obama.

Limbaugh is widely credited as key to Republicans’ takeover of Congress in 1994 and has strongly supported Mr Trump and other Republicans.

He has frequently been accused of hate-filled speech – including bigotry and blatant racism – often targeted at former President Obama, including sketches such as “Barack the Magic Negro”.

The song, featured on his show The Rush Limbaugh Show, said former President Barack Obama “makes guilty whites feel good” and called Obama “black, but not authentically”.

Regarded as one of the most conservative media personalities in the United States, is also known for his sexist and homophobic comments.

“When a gay person turns his back on you, it is anything but an insult; it’s an invitation,” he said on his radio show in the summer of 1994.

.@realDonaldTrump just gave the nation's highest civilian award to a man who has a long and demonstrable record of misogynistic and racist comments. And he did it during a #SOTU. https://t.co/5UaejGE32N

— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) February 5, 2020

And perhaps his most infamous comment in recent memory were those made about then-law student Sandra Fluke in 2012, after she said that “contraceptives can cost a woman over $3000 during law school” during a meeting with the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.

“What does it say about college co-ed Sandra Fluke, who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sex – what does that make her?” Limbaugh said on his radio show.

“It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex. She’s having so much sex she can’t afford contraception.”

He went on to say, “Can you imagine if you’re her parents, how proud of Sandra Fluke you would be? Your daughter goes up to a congressional hearing conducted by the Botox-filled Nancy Pelosi and testifies she’s having so much sex she can’t afford her own birth control pills and she agrees that Obama should provide them, or the Pope.”

– With AP