Limbaugh: Trump advised me to ‘never apologize’ for Buttigieg remarks

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh said President Trump advised him to “never apologize” for his comments on Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg’s sexuality.

Limbaugh said on his Monday show that Trump called him to talk about his comments last week that “America’s still not ready to elect a gay guy kissing his husband on the debate stage.” His remarks sparked outrage from some Democrats and prompted Buttigieg to respond on CNN Sunday that he doesn’t need lectures on family values from Limbaugh.

The popular host, who revealed earlier this month he had advanced stage lung cancer, responded to Buttigieg on Monday by saying he “didn’t lecture him on family values” and sharing his conversation with the president on the matter.

“Hell, the president even called me about this!” Limbaugh said Monday on his show. “He said, ‘Rush, I just got to tell you something. Never apologize. Don’t ever apologize.’ “

“I had no idea this thing had even bubbled up,” Limbaugh said. “You know, I’m up doing the medical thing that I have to do here, and I wasn’t even aware of this.”

Limbaugh said he thinks people were upset about his comments because “low-information voters” did not know the candidate was gay.  

“I think they think that there’s a lot of people that don’t know he’s gay and that I sort of dropped the dime on it and let people who otherwise didn’t know that Mayor Pete is gay,” he said. “I think that’s what they’re really mad about, that I even mentioned it.”

The White House and Buttigieg’s campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The conservative radio host, who began cancer treatment the day after Trump awarded him the Medal of Freedom earlier this month, said last week that Buttigieg’s sexual orientation may present a challenge to win over voters. 

“A gay guy, 37 years old, loves kissing his husband on debate stages. Can you see Trump have fun with that?” Limbaugh said.

Buttigieg married his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, in 2018.

“I love my husband. I’m faithful to my husband. On stage we usually just go for a hug. But I love him very much, and I’m not going take lectures on family values from the likes of Rush Limbaugh,” Buttigieg told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” on Sunday.

Buttigieg is currently the delegates leader on the Democratic side with a slight edge over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).