Rush Limbaugh attending Trump’s State of the Union address

Rush Limbaugh, the longtime conservative commentator who recently announced a cancer diagnosis, is attending President Trump’s State of the Union address. 

Limbaugh, an outspoken supporter of Trump, was spotted in the first lady’s viewing box in the House chamber with his wife ahead of Trump’s Tuesday evening speech. Jenna Ellis, a senior legal adviser to Trump, confirmed on Twitter earlier in the day that Limbaugh would be in attendance for Trump’s third State of the Union. 

Trump reportedly said at a private lunch with news anchors ahead of his speech before Congress that he is planning to award Limbaugh with the Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

He made the remarks the day after Limbaugh, 69, revealed on his talk radio show that he’d been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. Limbaugh, an extremely influential voice in conservative media, said that he would be away from the show until at least Thursday to undergo treatment. 

“This day has been one of the most difficult days in recent memory, for me, because I’ve known this moment was coming. I’m sure that you all know by now that I really don’t like talking about myself and I don’t like making things about me,” Limbaugh said at the conclusion of Monday’s broadcast. 

The president and first lady Melania Trump are hosting more than a dozen guests for this year’s State of the Union, including military veterans, a Gold Star family and a border patrol agent. Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó is reportedly expected to be in attendance as well. 

Several Democratic lawmakers have said that they would boycott the event, which comes the day before the Senate is set to hold the final vote in Trump’s impeachment trial.