During a private lunch Tuesday ahead of the State of the Union, President Trump told a group of network news anchors that he plans on giving conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh the Medal of Freedom, CNN reports.
The discussion was off the record, but because CNN was not invited to the lunch, the network said it does not have to abide by the directive.
On Monday, Limbaugh announced he has advanced lung cancer, and a person familiar with the matter said Limbaugh will receive the honor sometime in the next few months. Limbaugh, a Trump supporter, has hosted The Rush Limbaugh Show for 31 years.
The Medal of Freedom is the nation's highest civilian honor. The White House says it is given to "individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."