Former President George W. Bush said Wednesday conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, whose death was announced earlier that day, "was a friend throughout my presidency," Fox News reports.
Bush, reacting to the news Limbaugh had succumbed to Stage IV lung cancer, wrote in a statement:
"Laura and I are sorry to learn that Rush Limbaugh has passed away. A son of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Rush rose as a pioneer of talk radio starting in the 1980s, and was a friend throughout my presidency. While he was brash, at times controversial, and always opinionated, he spoke his mind as a voice for millions of Americans and approached each day with gusto."
"As he battled hearing loss and cancer late in life, he was sustained by the support of friends and family, his love of sports and rock and roll, and his belief in God and country. Rush Limbaugh was an indomitable spirit with a big heart, and he will be missed."
Former President Donald Trump also commented on Limbaugh's passing, telling Fox News the longtime radio host "is a legend. He really is. There aren't too many legends around. But he is a legend. And those people who listen to him every day, it was like a religious experience for a lot of people."