Rush Limbaugh, the conservative political commentator, is dead.

Mr. Limbaugh, popularly known for hosting a radio show, The Rush Limbaugh Show, was aged 70. 

His wife, Kathryn Limbaugh, made the announcement.

Mr. Limbaugh diagnosed with lung cancer. 

“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,” she said on air. 

Premier Networks issued a statement saying that the Limbaugh show would continue to run, with content from the archives and a rotation of guest hosts. 

On February 3, 2020, Limbaugh announced on his show that he was undergoing treatment following episodes of shortness of breath. The next day after announcing his diagnosis, former U.S. President Donald Trump awarded Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom during a State of the Union address.

Mr. Limbaugh, an author of seven books, hosted a national television show between 1992 and 1996, earning his place among the most highly compensated persons in American radio. He was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 1993.

In 2018, his earnings were pegged at $84.5 million by Forbes. In December 2019, Talkers Magazine estimated that The Rush Limbaugh’s show brought a cumulative weekly audience of 15.5 million listeners, making it the most-listened-to radio show in the United States.

In 2003, Limbaugh worked briefly as a professional football commentator with ESPN, resigning a few weeks into the 2003 NFL season. In October 2003, Limbaugh announced on his show that he suffered from an addiction to prescription painkillers. He took time off to enter rehab and returned to the air in November 2003.

Limbaugh signed a $400 million contract with Premiere Radio Networks in 2008, one of the most lucrative radio deals at the time. The contract was renewed in 2016 and again in 2021.