George W. Bush Pays Tribute to Rush Limbaugh: ‘Indomitable Spirit with a Big Heart’

Former President Georgie W. Bush paid tribute to the late conservative radio legend Rush Limbaugh on Wednesday.

“Laura and I are sorry to learn that Rush Limbaugh has passed away. A son of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Rush rose as a pioneer of talk radio starting in the 1980s, and was a friend throughout my Presidency,” Bush said in a statement.

“While he was brash, at times controversial, and always opinionated, he spoke his mind as a voice for millions of Americans and approached each day with gusto,” the former president added. “Rush Limbaugh was an indomitable spirit with a big heart, and he will be missed.”

STATEMENT BY
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH
ON RUSH LIMBAUGH pic.twitter.com/FR0xhiyE8J

— Mike Emanuel 🇺🇸 (@MikeEmanuelFox) February 17, 2021

Limbaugh died Wednesday morning at the age of 70 following a battle with Stage 4 lung cancer, his wife Kathryn Limbaugh announced at the beginning of his daily radio show.

“It is with profound sadness I must share with you directly that our beloved Rush, my wonderful husband, passed away this morning due to complications from lung cancer,” announced Katheryn. “Rush will forever be the greatest of all time.”

Limbaugh was born on January 12, 1951, in Cape Giradeau, Missouri. As a high school student, he landed his first job in radio at local station KGMO. Limbaugh attended Southeast Missouri State University in 1971 and dropped out after one year to pursue a career in radio. Limbaugh was first syndicated in 1988. At its peak, The Rush Limbaugh Show reached an audience of over 15 million listeners.

In 1993, Limbaugh was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame and the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1998. He is also five-time winner of the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Award for Excellence in Syndicated and Network Broadcasting.