Filmmaker Rob Reiner, comedian Patton Oswalt, and others had extremely insensitive criticisms for legendary radio host Rush Limbaugh receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, as reported by Breitbart.
Limbaugh was invited to be a special guest of President Trump, and although the president had previously announced his intentions to award the radio icon with the nation’s highest civilian honor, the presentation of the award live during the State of the Union address was highly unexpected. The moment proved to be one of the most powerful of the night, with Limbaugh tearing up as First Lady Melania Trump presented him with the medal.
Limbaugh has been trending in the news for the last 48 hours after announcing his diagnosis with “advanced lung cancer,” which he says will lead to him having to take multiple days off from his radio show as he seeks medical advice and treatment.
But Reiner did not show any respect for Limbaugh, declaring in a Tweet that there is “only one thing to say” about the situation: “I loathe this f**king man.” Oswalt made a joke about Limbaugh’s recent diagnoses, by suggesting that Limbaugh would use his Medal of Freedom prestige to get more Oxycontin from “his dealer.”
Limbaugh’s show, The Rush Limbaugh Show, has been on the air for over 32 years, and has been the most-listened-to radio program in America the entire time. Limbaugh is considered a pioneer in the realm of talk radio, and has been widely credited with paving the way for conservative talk radio in particular, having since been joined in the ranks of the top shows by other such hosts as Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, and Mike Gallagher.