The View Slams Donald Trump for Honoring Rush Limbaugh with Medal of Freedom

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday night, during Donald Trump's State of the Union Speech, and almost everyone at "The View" was offended by the decision.

The award is given to "individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the security or national interests of America, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors," according to the White House.

"There were also a lot of moments which seem really produced to me, his TV background really came out to me. It seemed like the TV president," Meghan McCain said of the speech as a whole. "If it weren't Trump, I probably would have loved it. If it was another president giving this kind of speech, I probably would have loved it."

She then pointed out she liked seeing 100-year-old Tuskegee Airman Charles McGee get honored during the speech, before adding, "If you're someone on the right, you probably liked Rush Limbaugh."

Whoopi Goldberg let out an audible groan, as McCain said she was only talking about people "on the right" and "not this table."

Past honorees include Steven Spielberg, Muhammad Ali, Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, Rosa Parks, and Martin Luther King Jr.

During his speech, Trump said Limbaugh -- who announced he's been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer earlier in the day -- was being honored "in recognition of all that you have done for our nation, the millions of people a day that you speak to and that you inspire, and all of the incredible work that you have done for charity."

Sunny Hostin said she was "offended" Trump was "trying to use the Tuskegee Airman as a prop," before saying the president hasn't "done anything for the black community."

Noting she was "very sorry" to hear Limbaugh was ill and adding "you never want to wish bad stuff on people," Whoopi still went in on Trump for honoring him. "I'm sorry, I thought the Medal of Freedom was supposed to go to people who actually did stuff," she continued.

Guest host Alec Baldwin interjected, joking, "I decided I want to run for President just so I can give the Medal of Freedom to Louis C.K."

"I didn't understand, you got a Tuskegee Airman sitting there," Goldberg continued. "How about, if you're gonna give the Medal of Freedom to someone who's made a difference, how about giving it to Elijah Cummings' wife for a thank you?"

"Because he's playing to his base," McCain responded. "[Limbaugh] has 30 million listeners a day. To put it in perspective, this show averages around 3. The amount of influence he has in this country, especially with conservatives and Republican voters."

Cutting her off, Whoopi asked, "But what has he done?"

"He's completely changed the paradigm of radio," responded McCain, winning over nobody. When Joy Behar brought up Rush referring to Barack Obama as "Barack the Magic Negro" in 2007, McCain conceded Limbaugh has "said a lot of awful things."

"He's so racist and misogynistic over the years," Behar added. "Who's next, Roger Stone? How about giving it to him or Steve Bannon?"

"I don't think it was lost on the Black community that he gave that honor to Rush Limbaugh during Black History Month, sitting next to a Tuskegee Airman, on Rosa Parks Day," added Sunny, "while Rush Limbaugh was a longtime birther, played that Barack the Magic Negro [song]."

The conversation comes after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez -- who skipped the speech in protest -- shared similar criticism of Limbaugh getting the award on Instagram Live last night.

"First of all, the Presidential Medal of Freedom is an extraordinarily sacred award," she said to her followers. "We're talking about putting someone on the same level as Rosa Parks ... in terms of their contributions to American progress. Rush Limbaugh is a virulent racist, but even just on top of that, to do it in the middle of a State of the Union and not even dignify it with its own ceremony as it has — there's all sorts of norms that are being violated, not just for people's humanity, but also it truly just cheapens the value of it."

"To give it to Rush Limbaugh when there were plenty of people in that audience that have contributed positively to the fabric of American society, much more frankly, than he has," she went on. "You know, but it's red meat to his base, Trump knows what he is doing and he wants to assert that Rush Limbaugh is somehow on the same level as Rosa Parks, and it's truly nauseating."