Rush Limbaugh Flag Honors Won’t Be Statewide

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FILE - In this Feb. 4, 2020 file photo, Rush Limbaugh reacts as first Lady Melania Trump, and his wife Kathryn, applaud, as President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington. Limbaugh, the talk radio host who became the voice of American conservatism, has died. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is moving ahead with plans to honor recently deceased conservative radio broadcaster Rush Limbaugh by lowering flags to half-staff despite protests from some public officials who don’t see Limbaugh as worthy of the honor.

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DeSantis announced Tuesday that he was directing the U.S. and Florida flags to be flown at half-staff at the Palm Beach County Courthouse in West Palm Beach, the City Hall of Palm Beach and the State Capitol in Tallahassee from sunrise to sunset on Wednesday.

A longtime resident of Palm Beach, Limbaugh, 70, died of lung cancer last Wednesday. DeSantis called Limbaugh a legend during a news conference two days later and indicated that he would direct flags to be flown at half-staff to honor him.

But many Democrats objected. Nikki Fried, Florida’s agriculture commissioner and the only statewide Democratic officeholder, said Monday that she would not abide by the Republican governor’s orders. She said she would notify all state officers she oversees to disregard the governor’s order.

St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman posted on Twitter that his city wouldn’t honor hatred, racism, bigotry, homophobia or anything else Limbaugh has spewed over the years.

The governor’s order doesn’t apply to any of the offices controlled by Fried or the city of St. Petersburg.

Town of Palm Beach officials and Palm Beach County court officials didn’t immediately reply to emails asking if they planned to follow the order.

A year ago, President Donald Trump awarded Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, during his final State of the Union address. The day before, Limbaugh had announced that he was battling advanced lung cancer.

Limbaugh had for decades championed conservativism — often stridently at the expense of liberals and Democrats.

Flags are typically lowered to honor prominent government officials, as well as law enforcement officers and members of the military killed in the line of duty. DeSantis has said Limbaugh’s stature justified the honor.


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21 Comments
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Bubbie
Bubbie
3 years ago

Wasn’t Limbaugh a low life who became a drug addict and mocked women and the disabled?

Teddy
Teddy
3 years ago

The conservative capitalist magazine The Economist called Limbaugh ‘ the tower of babble’. A narcissist bigot worshipped by same.

Impeach trump
Impeach trump
3 years ago

Stupid republicans, honoring those who should be despised, and despising those who should be honored!!

Circle
Circle
3 years ago

I don’t understand how this works.
The low life Fried could defy the Governor’s orders, yet if someone in Fried’s department defies her and lowers the flag out of deep respect for a great American, they will get in trouble.
Why can’t Republicans be braver than that?

Phineas
Phineas
3 years ago

On his radio talk show on October 5, 1995, Limbaugh ranted about the evils of drug use in America saying that it is “destroying our country” and that “we have laws against selling drugs, pushing drugs, using drugs, importing drugs. And the laws are good because we know what happens to people in societies and neighborhoods which become consumed by them. And so if people are violating the law by doing drugs, they ought to be accused and they ought to be convicted and they ought to be sent up.” Limbaugh defined drug abuse as a choice and not a disease and violators should face legal consequences.