Kathryn Limbaugh: The Rush Limbaugh Legacy

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Brian Kilmeade Show – “Kathryn Limbaugh: The Rush Limbaugh Legacy”

Date: June 27, 2026
Host: Brian Kilmeade
Guest: Kathryn Limbaugh

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Episode Overview

This episode pays tribute to the enduring legacy of Rush Limbaugh through a heartfelt conversation with his widow, Kathryn Limbaugh, CEO of the Rush Limbaugh Legacy. The discussion explores Rush’s influence on American conservative thought, his dedication to patriotism and history, the ongoing work to preserve his message, and the impact of his children's books on young Americans. Kathryn candidly shares behind-the-scenes moments from Rush’s battle with terminal illness and how his love for radio and his audience kept him going through adversity.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Rush Limbaugh’s Legacy & Patriotic Values

• The episode opens with archival audio of Rush reflecting on American opportunity and patriotism, emphasizing gratitude for being American.
  • Notable Quote [01:34, Rush Limbaugh]:
    “We understand the great opportunity we all have as Americans. We wish for all to achieve the American dream... all that we expect is that you love America, that you recognize how fortunate you are to be an American.”
• Kathryn discusses the void left by Rush’s passing, emphasizing that his voice for patriotism and American values is “so sorely missed” [03:13].
• She expresses concern over the rise of socialism in parts of the country, particularly in New York, while appreciating Florida and Tennessee’s adherence to traditional freedoms.

The Fight Against Political Polarization

• Brian and Kathryn address gerrymandering and diminishing political competition.
• Kathryn stresses the importance of holding on to foundational American values:
  • Notable Quote [05:01, Kathryn Limbaugh]:
    “We have to hold on to our principles. We have to hold on to what makes us free, what makes us the United States of America, and not let us go the way of socialism.”

Rush Revere Book Series: Inspiring Young Patriots

• The segment highlights the motivation and educational vision behind Rush’s “Rush Revere” children’s/young adult book series [06:54–08:32]:
  • Books were created in response to the lack of accurate, engaging American history in schools.
  • The series uses time-travel adventures to key moments in American history, aiming to make learning history fun and accessible for kids aged 8–14.
  • Kathryn recounts feedback from young readers, saying they enjoyed both reading and learning about America's founding.
  • Books are being relaunched, with proceeds supporting the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation.

Personal Background and Soccer as a Lens on Patriotism

• Kathryn shares details of her international upbringing and passion for soccer, connecting her experiences to a love of country and communal pride:
  • Kathryn [08:32]:
    “In Brazil… was where I loved soccer for the first time. I thought I was going to be on the World cup team, but I peaked at 10 … just being able to see so many fans standing up… being proud to be American. That’s exactly the point of this book.”
• Discussion about athletes standing for the anthem—contrasting the present with the period when athletes took a knee. Kathryn mentions a past “Stand up for Betsy Ross” campaign led by Rush [10:18].
  • Kathryn [10:18]:
    “As much as Rush would say it's outrageous what's happening in terms of the socialism takeover, he would be saying that it's thrilling to see these athletes standing, the crowd screaming. That's what young people need to know—why the Star Spangled Banner means so much to us.”

Why American History Matters

• Brian gives a passionate retelling of the origins of the Star-Spangled Banner and the resilience at Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 [11:02–12:04].
• Kathryn ties this story back to the “Rush Revere” series’ purpose—bringing young readers directly into these crucial moments of American history [12:07].
• Kathryn:
  “Rush was such an iconic figure for so long. He is a huge patriot, and we really want him to always be honored and recognized… also, the books are being relaunched to raise funds for the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation… which provides scholarships and financial aid to the children of fallen heroes.” [12:07–13:15]

Rush’s Final Years and Dedication to His Audience

• Kathryn offers a deeply personal account of Rush’s battle with terminal cancer, his daily drive to return to the microphone, and her role in supporting him:
  • Katherine Limbaugh [15:22]:
    “Being behind the golden mic is exactly what kept him going as long as he was able to be. We would spend many days in hospitals talking about how quickly we can get chemotherapy done so that he can get back behind the microphone.”
  • She never told Rush the time limit doctors gave, believing mindset and motivation could extend his life.
  • Rush’s intent, even while suffering, was never to be “a cancer patient on the radio” or to receive pity, but to remain a source of strength and inspiration [17:20].
• Brian acknowledges Kathryn’s strength and role as both spouse and coach during this difficult period [19:19].

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Rush Limbaugh [05:39]:
  “America allows you to love yourself… America allows you the opportunity to put what you think is best on trial and see if it flies. It’s always been what America is about. This is a miraculous country.”

• Brian Kilmeade [11:02]:
  “…the flag that was still there, and it is now in the Smithsonian… That flag was knitted back together, stitched back together. It was made in the middle of the War of 1812, put up to Fort McHenry, and then they fixed it again. Women were doing that at that time, and they took great pride in doing it.”

• Kathryn Limbaugh [16:12]:
  “Rush and Donald Trump don't talk at you, but they talk to you. And you feel as though, whether or not you know them personally, you feel as though you do.”

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Important Timestamps

• 01:34 – Rush Limbaugh on the American Dream (archive audio)
• 03:11 – 04:33 – Kathryn on Rush’s loss, current cultural shifts, and the spread of socialism
• 05:39 – 06:21 – Rush Limbaugh archive audio on what makes America unique
• 06:54 – 08:32 – Kathryn on “Rush Revere” books: origin, target audience, patriotic purpose
• 10:18 – Stand up for Betsy Ross campaign; patriotism in sports
• 12:07 – 13:15 – Why relaunch the books; support for military families
• 15:22 – 17:20 – Kathryn’s moving account of Rush’s determination to keep broadcasting while battling cancer

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Conclusion

This episode is a sincere tribute to Rush Limbaugh’s enduring impact on American culture, conservative values, and youth education. Kathryn and Brian discuss the importance of patriotism, remembering America’s extraordinary history, and the personal sacrifices that kept Rush’s voice on the airwaves even as he faced terminal illness. The relaunch of the “Rush Revere” series continues that mission, aiming to instill pride and knowledge of American history in new generations while supporting families of fallen heroes.

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Transcript

[Brian Kilmeade]

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[Rush Limbaugh (archive audio)]

We understand the great opportunity we all have as Americans. We wish for all to achieve the American dream. We wish all who want to to apply themselves to whatever pursuit of happiness or excellence they desire. It's a rare opportunity to be born in America and to have these blessed opportunities and all that we ask, all that people expect. All that we expect is that you love America, that you recognize how fortunate you are to be an American.

[Brian Kilmeade]

And that is some of Rush Limbaugh's thoughts when he was the most dominant radio person maybe ever and certainly in my lifetime. Katherine Limbaugh joins us now, chief executive officer of the Rush Limbaugh Legacy. They have great children's books out, I think young adult books out now that talk about America's history in a fun, entertaining but accurate way. And that is missing from a lot of curriculums around the country. Katherine. Welcome back to the Brian Kilmeade Show. Great to see you.

[Katherine Limbaugh]

Thank you so much, Brian. I'm happy to be back.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Right. You said you feel comfortable in the news environment.

[Katherine Limbaugh]

Yes. Oh, I love it. Just being in a studio again. I'm like, oh, I'm back. I'm home.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Because for a while after Rush passed away, you were. You were on a lot. I was for a year or so, yeah.

[Katherine Limbaugh]

Right afterwards, I was just for a period of time, so that we could, you know, continue to talk to everyone. He considered his audience to be extended family, as I do, so it was our way of just keeping connected.

[Brian Kilmeade]

What have the last few years been like?

[Katherine Limbaugh]

Oh, goodness. The first couple years were really tough. You know, we lost such an important voice. Just hearing him talk about the United States and patriotism reminds me that that voice is so sorely missed. But thank goodness there's people you that are keeping that going, especially with everything happening here in New York. I picked the wrong day yesterday to come into New York with socialism on. On the agenda, but perhaps it's the right day for me to be here.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Is Florida still home?

[Katherine Limbaugh]

Yeah, Florida. Partly in Tennessee.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Right. So those two areas which almost feel isolated from what we're experiencing here.

[Katherine Limbaugh]

Exactly.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Do you feel now that you come into the bubble, do you feel like this push for socialism and far leftism is in a bubble, or do you feel it's permeating throughout the country?

[Katherine Limbaugh]

I hope it's not right here in particular.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Tennessee or not.

[Katherine Limbaugh]

Not really. Not to the extent of here at all. It's honestly scary what's happening here in New York right now. And just knowing that this is becoming sort of relatively mainstream within New York in certain areas is absolutely crazy. I think if Rush was here right now, he would say, this is insane. There's actual insanity going on with what people are thinking about. Tennessee, less so for sure. Florida Free State.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Yeah, it is. And it's becoming more an enclave. And they feel like America is being sectioned off between that and the gerrymandering, because people just say, okay, Republicans in power, we're gonna gerrymander to get the maximum Republican seat. Democrats in power, we're gonna gerrymander to make the maximum Democratic seats. So it put less in play. They say only about 18 seats of 435 are in play. Do you worry about that for the country? Do you think we should have more competition, competitive districts?

[Katherine Limbaugh]

I do worry. I worry a lot about what's happening generally across the board. And I think that's what Rush would be saying to all of us, is we have to Continue to put out the message that our fundamental American values, that we were founded with our incredibly important. So I think that it's important for each one of us to continue to say we have to hold on to our principles. We have to hold on to what makes us free, what makes us the United States of America, and not let us go the way of socialism.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Yeah. Here's more from Rush.

[Rush Limbaugh (archive audio)]

America allows you to love yourself. America allows you to think you're the greatest thing on earth. America allows you to have confidence and bravado. America allows you the opportunity, opportunity to put what you think is best on trial and see if it flies. It's always been what America is about. This is a miraculous country. We wanted everybody who sees the flag to know just how lucky we are to be Americans, to be free. What incredible early patriots did to establish this country and preserve and protect freedom and guarantee it.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Go ahead.

[Katherine Limbaugh]

Yeah, no, that's exactly it. I think, you know, Rush always talked about that, how incredibly miraculous our country is and its founding. He would say the American Dream is very much still alive. No matter what's being said out there, no matter what's happening in New York, the American dream, every single individual has an opportunity here, and we can never lose that. We can never lose sight of that. And I know that Rush would say it's never time to panic, no matter what's. What's happening.

[Brian Kilmeade]

And is that what prompt him to write? Those young. I think they're not children. Young adult books, right?

[Katherine Limbaugh]

Yes.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Eight to 14.

[Katherine Limbaugh]

Yeah. Some years ago.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Rush Revere.

[Katherine Limbaugh]

Rush Revere. Some years ago, he saw that there was a real void for accurate, patriotic American history. And he wanted to do something beyond what he was doing on the radio to connect to the younger demographic. So it was geared towards the fifth grade reading level. A little bit older, a little bit younger. But we heard from hundreds of thousands of young Americans who said, first, they're enjoying history for the first time and they're enjoying reading. But what Rush wanted to do was take young patriots, young readers, back in time to be at the Mayflower. On the Mayflower, to be part of the American Revolution. He used Rush Revere, which was an American history teacher and his substitute. His substitute American history teacher and his horse, Rush. Liberty the horse. I've confused them totally today, but Liberty the horse, back in time to be a part of America.

[Brian Kilmeade]

And when people want to order the books, where do they go?

[Katherine Limbaugh]

Well, we're hoping they'll be everywhere that they normally find books. We joked about this yesterday when I was on a couple of programs that they may be in the back somewhere if they're here in New York. But hopefully anywhere that you look for books, hopefully they'll be there.

[Brian Kilmeade]

All right, good. What about your background? You tell me how many different countries you lived in, how much you enjoy in the World Cup. Now, I grew up with soccer in my neighborhood in the 70s, so I've been playing since I was in second grade. So soccer is not new to me. But as so many people said, I'm getting into it, and now I'm getting into it. But why? What got you into it?

[Katherine Limbaugh]

Oh, I love soccer. I'm glad we're talking about that. We'll talk about that in a minute. But I grew up around the world. My mother was an American diplomat. My father went to the Naval Academy and then was in international business. So we literally grew up around the world. I was born in Boston, New England, originally. My mother was part of the Adams history, her lineage. And then we traveled extensively throughout my life. I lived in Brazil for many years, and in Brazil in particular was where I loved soccer for the first time I played. Unfortunately, I peaked at 10 years old. I thought I was going to be on the World cup team, but I peaked at 10. I was a center forward for many years, but I peaked at 10, basically because when we went to Brazil, you, soccer for young girls was not as popular as you would think. But you know, what I was going to say, just back to talking about Rush Revere and talking about Liberty the Horse and why Rush wrote these books is because he wanted young readers and young patriots to know why our country is so important. And speaking about the World cup, you know, I've been watching a lot of the games, as I know you have, and just being able to see so many fans standing up, singing proudly, you know, holding their heart, their hand over their hearts, being proud to be American. That's exactly the point of this book. These books. And as much as Resch would be disappointed in what's happening with the craziness of socialism, he would be absolutely thrilled to see the revival of American patriotism under President Trump. Just seeing, you know, the athletes standing up and singing on U.S. soccer team.

[Brian Kilmeade]

Remember they were taking a knee a few years ago.

[Katherine Limbaugh]

Exactly. And we had a huge campaign against that. We did a big thing for the Betsy Ross campaign some years ago. Stand up for Betsy Ross. So as much as Rush would say it's outrageous what's happening in terms of the socialism takeover, he would be saying that it's thrilling to see these Athletes standing, the crowd screaming. That's what young people need to know. Why that the Star Spangled Banner means so much to us. Why the flag means so much to us. What needed to happen in order for us to be celebrating 250 years of an incredibly miraculous country?

[Brian Kilmeade]

You know, the other thing was just if you think about. If Just explain to somebody where Francis Scott Key got this poem from, why those words work, what was happening in our country. Washington. The White House had just burned. The Capitol Building has just burned to the ground. The British were on the march. They wanted to take Baltimore and maybe take back the country. But it was Fort McHenry that was still there, and the flag that was still there, and it is now in the Smithsonian, which I just saw last month for a special we're doing. That flag was knitted back together, stitched back together. It was made in the middle of the War of 1812, put up to Fort McHenry, and then they fixed it again. Women were doing that at that time, and they took great pride in doing it, and they said, we better hold onto this. It'll be special. Little did we know that whole incident would be chronicled in our national anthem if you just knew that. And the flag was still there, and the bombs burst in air because they sunk boats further enough back where the cannons would not hit the. Would not hit the fort. Theoretically, they would burst in midair and go to the water.

[Katherine Limbaugh]

Yeah.

[Brian Kilmeade]

And that's. That's part of it. I mean, that's the drama of our country.

[Katherine Limbaugh]

Well, that's exactly right. And that's what Rush Revere, the history teacher, wanted to do, was take young readers right there to be at Fort McHenry, to be a part of American history and see why those lyrics mean so much to us and understand it. And I think that's what makes this book series so unique and why we're doing this. The only reason that we're really back talking about this is one, because we're celebrating 250 years of the most miraculous country on Earth. And two, because Rush was such an iconic figure for so long. He is a huge patriot, and we really want him to always be honored and recognized. And this is the way for me to do that in his life legacy. And also, the books are being relaunched to raise funds for the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation. We love our United States military. We're huge supporters of the military. The Marine Corps Law Enforcement foundation provides scholarships and financial aid to the children of fallen heroes, which, of course, have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom that we celebrate today.

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[Brian Kilmeade]

So yeah, and that's amazing to me is because as soon as you hear Rush's voice, you expect to hear him later on today, right? 12 o'.

[Rush Limbaugh (archive audio)]

Clock.

[Katherine Limbaugh]

Absolutely right.

[Brian Kilmeade]

So you hear him and you know, you, you forget that he's not going to be following you. And I remember I wrote him one time because it'd been about five months since he's been on at Fox and you know, he's still doing his show and I wrote him and I just said, hey, I just want you to know it's gonna, I know you can only do so much, but if you want to do, I like to invite you on to the morning show if you could possibly do it. And he said, brian, thanks so much, but my focus right now is staying above the ground. And we I was wondering for you and for him what it was like knowing that what he had was terminal and why it was important for him to keep working. Could you tell me?

[Katherine Limbaugh]

Oh, absolutely. My goodness. You know, that was his entire life. I'll be honest that being behind the golden mic is exactly what kept him going as long as he was able to be. We would spend many days in hospitals talking about how quickly we can get chemotherapy done so that he can get back behind the microphone. That is was his total driving force and he loved this country he loved the listeners so incredibly much. Of course, he loved his family. But being behind the golden mic, talking to the United States, confronting these huge issues that we're facing, was Russia's entire life because he was making impact in

[Brian Kilmeade]

the country now the superpower. And the other thing is his connection to Donald Trump was so strong.

[Katherine Limbaugh]

Exactly. I often say that Rush and President Trump are so similar in that they have such an extraordinary connection to people that listen to them, vote for them, or follow them. It's very personal. I always said that Rush and Donald Trump don't talk at you, but they talk to you. And you feel as though, whether or not you know them personally, you feel as though you do. And I'm so thankful to President Trump for taking on the issues that he is now. He takes a lot of arrows, just like Rush did for so many years. But I'm deeply grateful that we have President Trump in office. But just going back to, you know, Rush was really facing a very difficult terminal illness, but his motivation was, how quickly can I get back to the audience? How quickly can I talk to Americans and remind them why our country is so incredible? So if he could be here right now, he would say, I would love to keep going. But unfortunately, it was a year about from diagnosis straight through to his side,

[Brian Kilmeade]

and they told him right there that this is. You can't recover from this.

[Katherine Limbaugh]

Well, it was a difficult thing because Rush didn't know about it. He was actually on the radio as it was happening. The doctor called me personally and let me know that it was stage four terminal cancer, which I knew from having a lot of experience in cancer. My father passed away from pancreatic cancer, and a lot of friends and family have been affected. So I knew right away that we were facing a very daunting battle. But Rush was on the radio, and he was so happy to be there that I didn't want the doctor to call him directly, and I really didn't want him to hear this while he was doing what he was born to do and love so much. So when he was off the show that day, he came home and I asked him if he had a few minutes to talk about things, and he said yes. And he said, how'd it go? And I said, well, unfortunately, you know, it is a difficult diagnosis, but we're going to fight it. And I never let him know how much time they had placed on it, because in my mind, time is just a number. It can absolutely be changed. So we set out right then to fight it. And I said, you know, Rush, you should stay on the radio. Don't think that time is over now just because you've heard this diagnosis. I think what will absolutely keep you going is to be behind the radio. So we had to behind the mic. So we had to make adjustments. We had to, you know, strategize how we were going to be in the hospital, how he was going to be on air. But it was difficult right out of the gates. He fought incredibly hard. He never wanted to be a cancer patient on the radio. He never wanted to be wanted anyone to feel sorry for him. Instead, what he wanted was to connect to so many people that are going through hardships in their life.

[Brian Kilmeade]

And yeah, I mean, thanks so much for sharing that. I had never known almost any of that. But you deserve a lot of credit, too, because you had to be his strength through the entire time and also knew what he was going through. And if you could hear it on the air and you had to be his coach as well as his spouse. But go out and pick up these books. It goes to a great cause. And if you have somebody in there, especially 8, 9, 10, 11, you pick up this book, they'll understand more about the country on year 250. Katherine, thanks so much for putting us on your staff.

[Katherine Limbaugh]

You're welcome. Absolutely. Thank you, Brian. And it's Rush Revere, American history teacher, and Liberty the Horse.

[Tunnel to Towers Announcer]

Gotcha.

[Katherine Limbaugh]

I mixed them up a little earlier, but I'm back.

[Brian Kilmeade]

I think you got it. Katherine Limbaugh, thanks so much.

[Katherine Limbaugh]

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[Rush Limbaugh (archive audio)]

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[Katherine Limbaugh]

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[Brian Kilmeade]

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