President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he will award Rush Limbaugh with the Medal of Freedom in the wake of the conservative radio legend’s cancer diagnosis, according to CNN.
The president revealed his plans to honor Limbaugh in the coming months during a pre-State of the Union lunch with network anchors. His remarks were deemed off-the-record, however, because CNN was not invited to this year’s gathering, the network was not bound to the agreement. The Medial of Freedom is the highest civilian award in the U.S.
Limbaugh announced on air Monday that he had been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, prompting an outpour of support from his legions of fans and the media. The 69-year-old said he will be forced to miss some upcoming shows due to treatment.
“I wish I didn’t have to tell you. It’s a struggle for me because I had to inform my staff earlier today. I can’t escape… Even though people are telling me it’s not the way to look at it, I can’t help but feel that I’m letting everybody down with this. But the upshot is that I have been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, diagnosis confirmed by two medical institutions back on January 20th. I first realized something was wrong on my birthday weekend, January 12th,” the radio host explained.
“There are going to be days that I’m not going to be able to be here, because I will be undergoing treatment, or I’m reacting to treatment,” he added.
President Trump took to social media shortly after the news broke to wish the host of “The Rush Limbaugh Show” a swift recovery. “Many people do not know what a great guy & fantastic political talent the great Rush Limbaugh is. There is nobody like him. Looking for a speedy recovery for our friend!” the president tweeted.
Additionally, Limbaugh is reportedly expected to attend Tuesday evening’s address following an invitation from the White House.
President Trump and Limbaugh enjoy a years-long friendship and have golfed together on numerous occasions in south Florida. The radio host recently introduced the president before his remarks at the Turning Point USA conference in West Palm Beach.