Limbaugh denies any influence on Trump: "I do not do politics"

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh denied Sunday he had exercised substantial political influence over President Donald Trump, criticizing the idea as a fictional account by the president's opponents to make Trump appear incompetent.

"If these people in the media, Chris, really thought I was telling Trump what to do, and when, they would call me, they would ask me questions about it, they would like to get to the bottom of the details," Limbaugh said. said host Chris Wallace on "Fox News Sunday."

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"People do not really believe what they say about it," Limbaugh said. "It's just an extra effort to keep trying to diminish the president, to diminish Trump, because a person who does not know what he's doing, can not do it without the help of the so-called wacko right.

"It's not at all his way of governing, and nobody does what I do that has anything to do with developing a policy for this president," he said. he declares.

In December, Mr. Limbaugh and many other right-wing commentators were partially blamed for plunging the federal government into a 35-day partial closure after urging the president not to sign a short-term funding proposal providing for a well-deserved allocation. lower than the $ 5.7 billion requested by Trump building a wall separating the United States and Mexico.

On Friday, Trump declared a national emergency after signing a massive spending deal reached by congressional negotiators and providing for the allocation of $ 1.375 billion to border security measures. The emergency declaration allows the White House to redirect additional billions towards the construction of a border wall.

Trump, on Friday, praised Limbaugh as "a terrific man" at a press conference at the White House Rose Garden, in which he announced the emergency statement. The president also mentioned the Fox News host, Sean Hannity, and the conservative author Ann Coulter.

"Here's a guy [who] can talk for three hours without a phone call, "Trump of Limbaugh said," try to do that for a little while, for three hours he speaks, he has one of the greatest audiences in the history of the world. mean, this guy is amazing. "

Limbaugh said Sunday that "of course" Trump was worried about what he was saying to his millions of radio listeners.

"He cares what everyone thinks, but I do not do politics."