Share and Follow
Reflecting on my journey, I can’t say precisely where I’d be today if I hadn’t encountered Rush Limbaugh on the airwaves, but one thing is certain: I wouldn’t be writing for RedState.
Growing up in liberal cities, surrounded by a family and circle of friends who shared similar views, I always felt like the odd one out. It wasn’t due to any particular lifestyle choice but rather my conservative beliefs. While those around me painted Ronald Reagan as a villain, my own observations suggested otherwise.
Then, in the 1990s, as I navigated a Southern California freeway, I stumbled upon the voice of El Rushbo. Curiosity piqued by the controversial reputation he held as a supposed racist and fascist, I decided to tune in and see what the fuss was all about.
What I discovered was quite the opposite. Rush Limbaugh was none of those things. Instead, he was a sharp thinker with a remarkable ability to convey his ideas to a wide audience, encouraging them to engage in the often-neglected art of thinking.
From that moment onward, I became a regular listener, tuning in whenever I had the chance.
I listened to him from that day on as often as I could.
Five years ago Tuesday, he passed at the all-too-early age of 70 from advanced lung cancer.
One man who remembers the “Maha Rushie” is President Donald Trump, who delivered a moving address Tuesday night to his family and to his memory.
Watch:
President Trump gives an emotional tribute to Rush Limbaugh on the 5th anniversary of Rush’s passing.
“There will never be another Rush Limbaugh” “We miss him” ❤️🙏 pic.twitter.com/fc4kdPMnfh
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) February 18, 2026
The incredibly prescient Rush realized earlier than many that the billionaire real estate mogul was a game-changer who might just be the man we needed to stop the decline of American excellence:
Well, this is the 5th anniversary of the loss of a really great man, a great conservative, somebody that loved our country, loved his family, loved a lot of things…
He was a friend of mine, Rush Limbaugh. I had never met Rush when I announced that I was running. I’ll never forget, 2015. And I got a call, we’re all excited that Rush Limbaugh just endorsed you. I never met him. He liked my opening speech. He liked when I got up in June and I said, you know we got bad borders, we got bad crime, we got bad everything. And he liked it.
I came down the escalator with, now, our First Lady, and he thought it was great, and he endorsed me, and then I got to know him, and I realized what a great guy he was. But it’s five years that we miss Rush, as Sean Hannity would often say, “there will never be another Rush Limbaugh.”
So to his family, his great wife and family, I just want to say, we miss you all. We miss him, and there’ll never be anybody like him. Thank you very much.
MORE: Happy Birthday El Rushbo – Thank You for Being the Reason We Are Here (VIP)
Missing the Gipper: Reagan Foundation’s Moving Commemoration on the 20th Anniversary of His Death
It was an extremely poignant moment when, in 2020, Trump invited the seriously ill “King of Talk Radio” to his State of the Union address — where he surprised him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Millions of observers became verklempt:
Four years ago today, the legendary Rush Limbaugh went to be with the Lord.
Here’s a flashback to 2020, when President Trump surprised him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom during the State of the Union.
Rest in Peace, Rush. pic.twitter.com/DcCD1ujCFp
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 17, 2025
The official Rush website also released an homage to “The Doctor of Democracy” on Tuesday:
Rush lives on in all of our hearts. Thank you, Rush, for being our steady source of wisdom and laughter for so many years.
– The Limbaugh Family pic.twitter.com/jPw6WTuobQ
— Official Rush Limbaugh (@OfficialRushUSA) February 17, 2026
You were one of a kind, and you are missed. RIP, Mr. Limbaugh.
Editor’s Note: Do you enjoy RedState’s conservative reporting that takes on the radical left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join RedState VIP and use the promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership!