Limbaugh, Rush (Rush Hudson Limbaugh 3d) [key], 1951–2021, conservative radio talk-show host, b. Cape Girardeau, Mo. In 1984, Limbaugh, who first worked in radio as a teenager, became a talk-show host in Sacramento, where a confrontational style and staunchly conservative views won him loyal fans. Four years later he moved to New York City and debuted his nationally syndicated call-in program, which brought him fame and notoriety for his blunt humor, his often outrageously expressed conservative views, and his scathing treatment of those he opposed. During the mid-1990s his was the most listened-to talk show on radio, making him influential in conservative Republican politics, and he has remained adored, reviled, consequential, controversial, and successful. Limbaugh also has written several books. In 2020, President Donald Trump award Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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