Whoopi Goldberg and Meghan McCain get into heated debate about Rush Limbaugh’s ‘Medal of Freedom’

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Tuesday evening President Donald Trump awarded the Medal of Freedom to Rush Limbaugh and the next morning “The View” co-host Whoopi Goldberg wanted answers!

“You know, I am very sorry that Rush is ill, because you never want to wish bad stuff on people,” Goldberg said of the conservative broadcaster, who announced this week that he’s battling advanced lung cancer. “He has Stage IV cancer. But I’m sorry, I thought that the Medal of Freedom was supposed to go to people who actually did stuff.”

READ MORE: Whoopi Goldberg shuts down Meghan McCain on live TV: ‘Girl, stop talking

Co-host Joy Behar chimed in to note that previously the medal had been awarded to major humanitarians like Mother Teresa and Rosa Parks, prompting guest host Alex Baldwin to joke that if he ran for president he’d tarnish the award’s meaning like Trump, by giving the award to comedian Louis C.K. Although the joke didn’t land, many do believe that Limbaugh is just as undeserving as the polarizing funny man.

“I didn’t understand,” Goldberg continued. “You’ve got a Tuskegee airman sitting there. How about, if you’re going to give the Medal of Freedom to someone who actually has made difference in the country and done all kind of stuff, how about giving it to Elijah Cummings’ wife as a thank you for all of his service.”

This is when republican co-host Meghan McCain chimed in to defend both the GOP and the president’s decision.

“He’s playing to his base and Rush Limbaugh — I used to work in radio and I actually worked underneath, I was behind Sean Hannity on the radio show I hosted,” McCain explained. “Rush was first. He has 30 million listeners a day. To put it in perspective, this show averages around 3 (million). The amount of influence he has, especially with conservatives.”

When Goldberg asked her to explain why having a popular show was enough reason to receive one of the highest civilian awards in the U.S., McCain responded, “He changed the paradigm of radio.”

At this point, Goldberg and the other hosts seemingly bristled in irritation, as Behar called out just a handful of the notoriously racist remarks Limbaugh has made on that same show against people of color.

READ MORE: Whoopi Goldberg reportedly ‘at her breaking point’ trying to contain Meghan McCain’s meltdowns

“Rush Limbaugh spent a lot of Obama’s tenure singing — what did he call it? — ‘Barack the Magic Negro,’” Behar said. “He’s been so racist and misogynistic over the years, to give him — who’s next? Roger Stone? How about giving it to him or Steve Bannon.”

Co-host Sunny Hostin also joined the debate to explain why Limbaugh’s award felt like a slight against Black Americans.

“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,” Hostin noted. “Rush Limbaugh was a longtime birther during the Obama administration.”

“And Melania, the other birther, put the (medal) on him,” co-signed Behar.

READ MORE: Must be nice: Meghan McCain is the ‘angry Black woman’ actual Black women don’t get to be