Rush Limbaugh, the conservative commentator whose fiery rhetoric forged a new landscape for talk radio and inflamed the partisan divide that came to characterize political discourse in the United States, has died, according to an announcement on his radio show Wednesday.
He was 70.
“For over 32 years, Rush has cherished you, his loyal audience, and always looked forward to every single show. It is with profound sadness that I must share with you directly that our beloved Rush, my wonderful husband, passed away this morning due to complications from lung cancer,” his wife, Kathryn, said Wednesday.
“As so many of you know, losing a loved one is terribly difficult, even more so when that loved one is larger than life.”
Former President Donald Trump said he spoke to Limbaugh four days ago, knowing his political ally’s health was failing.
“His fight was very, very courageous, he was very, very sick,” Trump told Fox News Channel shortly after Limbaugh’s death was announced. “In theory, he could have been gone four months ago, really. He was fighting until the very end, he was a fighter.”
Robert Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University, compared him to the rise of Trump, saying, “he would strip out the usual manners — and he would just say what he wanted.”
“He wasn’t the first to do that kind of right-wing ideological commentary on the radio, but part of the appeal is also part of what used to get him in trouble, he would just go out there and say stuff no matter how outrageous it might be,” he said.
Former President George W. Bush called Limbaugh a “friend throughout” his two terms and praised the talk show host for his battle against hearing loss and cancer.
“Rush Limbaugh was an indomitable spirit with a big heart, and he will be missed,” he said in a statement.
