President Donald Trump on Tuesday commemorated the fifth anniversary of the death of conservative radio icon Rush Limbaugh, honoring the longtime broadcaster as “a really great man” who left a lasting mark on American politics and media.
In a video message filmed at his desk in the Oval Office and later posted to Truth Social, Trump reflected on his personal friendship with Limbaugh and praised the late host’s patriotism and influence.
“Well, this is the fifth anniversary of the loss of a really great man, a great conservative, somebody that loved our country, loved his family,” Trump said. “He was a friend of mine, Rush Limbaugh.”
Limbaugh, who died in February 2021 at age 70 after a battle with advanced lung cancer, was widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern conservative media. For more than three decades, The Rush Limbaugh Show dominated talk radio, reaching millions of listeners daily and helping shape the ideological direction of the Republican Party.
Trump recalled that he had never personally met Limbaugh at the time the radio host endorsed his 2016 presidential campaign — an endorsement that many political observers viewed as a pivotal moment in the Republican primary.
“I’d never met Rush when I announced that I was running,” Trump said. “I’ll never forget, 2015 and I got a call all excited that Rush Limbaugh just endorsed you. I’d never met him. He liked my opening speech.”
Trump was referring to his June 2015 campaign launch, when he descended the escalator at Trump Tower and delivered remarks that focused heavily on border security, crime, and national sovereignty — themes that would become central pillars of his campaign and presidency.
“He liked when I got up in June and I said, ‘We got bad borders, we got bad crime, we got bad everything,’” Trump continued. “He liked it. I came down the escalator with now our first lady, and he thought it was great.”
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The endorsement from Limbaugh, a trusted voice among grassroots conservative voters, helped solidify Trump’s credibility with parts of the Republican base at a time when many party leaders were skeptical of his candidacy. Throughout Trump’s presidency, Limbaugh remained a vocal defender of the administration’s policies, particularly on immigration, trade, and judicial appointments.
In 2020, during his State of the Union address, Trump awarded Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation’s highest civilian honor — shortly after the broadcaster publicly announced his cancer diagnosis. The emotional ceremony, conducted on the House floor, was met with sustained applause from Republican lawmakers and supporters.
Following his departure from office in January 2021, Trump made his first television appearance on the day of Limbaugh’s death, calling into Fox News to describe him as “irreplaceable.”
In Tuesday’s video, Trump echoed that sentiment, invoking fellow conservative commentator Sean Hannity’s oft-repeated phrase: “There will never be another Rush Limbaugh.”
“But it’s five years and we miss Rush,” Trump said. “To his family, his great wife and family, I just want to say we miss you all, we miss him, and they’ll never be anybody like him.”
Limbaugh’s impact on conservative media remains evident years after his passing. His pioneering model of nationally syndicated political talk radio reshaped the industry and paved the way for a generation of commentators across radio, television, and digital platforms. For many supporters, he served not only as a political analyst but as a daily companion and cultural touchstone during moments of national debate and partisan conflict.
As Trump’s message underscored, the connection between the two men reflected a broader political realignment that defined the past decade of Republican politics — one rooted in populist messaging, media influence, and direct appeals to voters outside traditional party structures.
Five years after his death, Limbaugh’s voice may be gone from the airwaves, but his imprint on American conservatism — and on Trump’s political rise — continues to be remembered by allies and supporters alike.h’s death, when he called into Fox News’ Outnumbered to praise the conservative juggernaut as “irreplaceable.”
