Many of Rush Limbaugh's more unsavory statements on air are beginning to resurface after his death. While many found him generally insufferable, some are surprised by the things the man was willing to say on the air.
One of these incidents that surprised and horrified many a Twitter user was Limbaugh's suggestion that actor Michael J. Fox, who is also known as a very vocal advocate for Parkinson's research, was "exaggerating" his Parkinson's symptoms.
Limbaugh was criticizing the ad below, which Fox recorded in support of former Senator Claire McCaskill, who supported research into stem cell treatment for the nervous system disorder.
Limbaugh accused Fox of exaggerating his symptoms for dramatic effect.
"In this commercial, he is exaggerating the effects of the disease. He is moving all around and shaking and it's purely an act. This is the only time I've ever seen Michael J. Fox portray any of the symptoms of the disease he has."
Brian Tyler Cohen, best known for his eponymous YouTube political commentary show, shared a clip of the segment from Limbaugh's show on Twitter. The reactions largely consisted of shock and disgust, and several remarked on the similarity between Limbaugh's remarks and former President Trump's mocking of disabled reporter Serge KovaleskiSerge Kovaleski in 2015.
Here's that one time Rush Limbaugh mocked Michael J. Fox for his Parkinson's, suggesting that he was exaggerating i… https://t.co/nlVx393acM— Brian Tyler Cohen (@Brian Tyler Cohen) 1613587590.0
Twitter users didn't pull any punches in their criticism of Limbaugh's ableist rhetoric.
@briantylercohen The negative energy he radiated led to a path and a legacy that will be looked down upon for ages.— 🦚Αρτιαννα🦚 (@🦚Αρτιαννα🦚) 1613587920.0
@jeffreymlevy @briantylercohen He was such a evil person. Now he gets to burn in hell.— Al florez (@Al florez) 1613619218.0
@ScottyDoesStats @briantylercohen @bblock29 Exactly my thoughts. Birds of a feather!— raj (@raj) 1613590057.0
@audubon3514 @briantylercohen @bblock29 Because they're BIRDS OF THE SAME FEATHERS— Rose (@Rose) 1613593412.0
@Hnhb22554210 @briantylercohen SOULESS— William C Stuart (@William C Stuart) 1613605408.0
@briantylercohen The life of Rush Limbaugh: Nasty, brutish and mercifully over. https://t.co/4W6GHXQ3sN— eTruePolitics.com (@eTruePolitics.com) 1613588220.0
@briantylercohen Sorry, but in death Rush Limbaugh did not suddenly become a wonderful human being.— Larry C. Gilliland (@Larry C. Gilliland) 1613604806.0
The sarcasm was downright palpable.
@BettyBowers @briantylercohen https://t.co/qZWAxxQiYN— Gabbo de la Parra (@Gabbo de la Parra) 1613587861.0
@Q_Review rush really exaggerating the effects of his disease today— Bill Stern (@Bill Stern) 1613585326.0
@AndiAnderson406 @briantylercohen Same as Trump when he mocked the handicapped reporter during his campaign.— Ziggy’s Mom (@Ziggy’s Mom) 1613613153.0
While Limbaugh retracted his comments within hours of making them because of the sheer level of backlash he faced at the time, this is far from the only example of the man mocking people for things outside of their control. He also famously mocked a 13-year-old Chelsea Clinton, referring to the teen as "the White House Dog."
His 30 inflammatory years on the air gave rise to plenty of reasons for many people to be indifferent, at best, to his passing.