Trump calls Limbaugh 'legend,' in first TV interview since Senate trial

Former President Trump on Wednesday afternoon praised the career of conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh, who has died of cancer.

"He loved his country, and he loved his fans," Trump said on the Fox News Channel. "He is a legend."

The interview was Trump's first since the conclusion of his Senate impeachment trial last week.

Limbaugh's wife, Kathryn, announced her husband's death earlier in the day on his radio show. He had been diagnosed about a year ago with Stage-IV lung cancer. He was 70.

The president also said he had a personal friendship with Limbaugh, who was an early supporter of his 2016 presidential bid and who, like Trump, thought the president won reelection in 2020.

Trump also pointed out that Limbaugh was a provocateur in his views about conservative politics that often sparked backlash from liberals and other critics. 

Trump last year in his State of the Union address awarded Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom.