When the arch-Conservative shock-jock Rush Limbaugh announced on air that he had been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and might not have long to live, Americans were quick to rally round. Even his legion of enemies were impressed by his composure.
President Trump knew at once how to turn the news to his advantage. The next day, on February 4, 2020, during his State of the Union address, he awarded Limbaugh the Medal of Freedom, which was placed around his neck by the first lady, Melania Trump, in full view of senators, members of Congress and the assembled justices of the US Supreme Court. For the right-wing commentator, more used to the bludgeon than the épée, it was a singular moment in which he