TUPELO, Miss. — On Wednesday, Americans heard the sad news that Rush Limbaugh had passed away, after a year-long struggle with lung cancer. The conservative talk radio and television host was 70.

“Rush Limbaugh changed radio and almost single-handedly created conservative talk radio,” stated Ed Vitagliano, executive vice president of the American Family Association (AFA, www.AFA.net). “He energized the conservative movement by providing sharp, clear and logical reasoning for our beliefs. And he gave courage to those who had been shamed into silence by a mainstream media that had forsaken its traditional watchdog role in favor of political activism.”

Limbaugh was one of the most influential media figures in American history, playing a significant role in conservative politics since “The Rush Limbaugh Show” first aired in 1988. In 2020, Limbaugh was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by then-President Trump at the State of the Union address – just days before his cancer diagnosis was announced.

“Rush will be missed – as all champions are when they are gone,” continued Vitagliano. “Our hope is that he was encouraged before his death that the conservative movement was better off for him being a part of it.”

For over 40 years, AFA has operated within the mission to inform, equip, and activate individuals to strengthen the moral foundations of American culture and give aid to the church here and abroad in its task of fulfilling the Great Commission. Find AFA Action Alerts here.

AFA—founded in 1977—has long been on the front lines of America’s culture war. Today, AFA is one of the largest and most effective pro-family organizations in the country, with nearly a million online supporters and approximately 160,000 subscribers to the AFA Journal, the ministry’s monthly magazine. In addition, AFA owns and operates nearly 200 radio stations across the country under the American Family Radio banner.

View the media page for AFA here. For more information on American Family Association, visit www.afa.net or follow AFA on Facebook or Twitter @AmericanFamAssc.

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To interview a representative of the American Family Association, contact [email protected], Nick DiFazio, 610.584.1096, ext. 104, or Deborah Hamilton, ext. 102.