Trump reacts to Rush Limbaugh death in first post-White House interview. ‘So gracious’
Former President Donald Trump spoke about the death of conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh in his first interview since leaving the White House.
Rush Limbaugh, who became a conservative icon through his radio show “The Rush Limbaugh Show,” died Wednesday after a battle with lung cancer. He was 70.
Trump awarded Limbaugh with the Presidential Medal of Freedom last year after Limbaugh announced he had cancer.
“He was a fantastic man. He was a fantastic talent,” Trump said during a Fox News interview Wednesday. “People, whether they loved him or not, they respected him.”
Trump said he met Limbaugh after he began his 2016 presidential campaign. “He was with me right from the beginning,” Trump said.
“Rush was so gracious and so great. Then, over a period of time, I got to know him and he loved this country. He loved the country, he loved his wife and his family. And he loved his fans,” Trump added.
Limbaugh was a staunch Trump supporter and made claims President Joe Biden did not win the 2020 presidential election “fair and square,” CNBC reported.
Limbaugh also dismissed the calls to end the violence after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
“We’re supposed to be horrified by the protesters,” Limbaugh said on his program on Jan. 7. “There’s a lot of people out there calling for the end of violence ... lot of conservatives, social media, who say that any violence or aggression at all is unacceptable regardless of the circumstances.”
“I am glad Sam Adams ... Thomas Paine ... the actual tea party guys ... the men at Lexington and Concord, didn’t feel that way.”
Limbaugh received support from other conservative figures on social media following his death.
Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., said Limbaugh was “a true American legend” on Twitter.
Former television host Bill O’Reilly tweeted: “The legacy of Rush Limbaugh is clear: the most successful radio broadcaster in history. Mr. Limbaugh provided a conservative balance against the dangerous left wing corporate media machine.”
This story was originally published February 17, 2021 at 10:26 AM with the headline "Trump reacts to Rush Limbaugh death in first post-White House interview. ‘So gracious’."