During the State of the Union on Capitol Hill, President Donald Trump delivered quite a few surprises to those in attendance. One of which was the emotional return of Sgt. First Class Townsend Williams from deployment, whose arrival shocked his wife and children. There was also the handshake that wasn’t between Trump and Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi.
Then there was the arrival of Rush Limbaugh, who was one day removed from his announcement that he is in advanced stages of lung cancer. Trump honored him during his address by presenting him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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Limbaugh was seated alongside First Lady, Melania Trump, when he was revealed as the recipient. He put his hands over his face in astonishment as a roar of applause ensued and Melania placing the medal around his neck.
The decision, though, was met with mixed reactions on social media.
Trump is giving Rush Limbaugh, a racist/sexist/birther/conspiracy theorist, the Medal of Freedom.
A flat-out embarrassment.
Our country’s moral compass has never been lower!
— Brian O’Sullivan (@osullivanauthor) February 4, 2020
“Thank you, President Trump for honoring Rush Limbaugh,” one user tweeted. “He is a true American patriot and he TRULY deserves the Presidential Medal of Freedom.God Bless him!”
Limbaugh has been a controversial figure throughout his career. One of his more talked about moments found its way back into the spotlight following his cancer reveal.
It just perfectly encapsulates the Trump administration’s massive and absolute incompetence when Rush Limbaugh and a 100-year-old Tuskegee Airman are in the same room and Rush Limbaugh is the one going home with a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
— A. Sharon (@ASharon004) February 5, 2020
In the mid 2000s, Limbaugh called out Michael J. Fox for exaggerating his Parkinson’s Disease symptoms. The video ended up going viral on Monday, bringing back one of his lowest points.
One user questioned the rationalization of the radio host receiving such a distinguished honor, writing on Twitter, “Devotion to our country? What has Rush done for this country other than spread foul lines and misinformation?”
On Monday after Rush made his announcement, Trump took to Twitter to share some words about his good friend.
“Many people do not know what a great guy [and] fantastic political talent the great Rush Limbaugh is. There is nobody like him,” Trump said in the tweet that linked to an article on the Washington Examiner. “Looking for a speedy recovery for our friend!”
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