Matthew Gertz expands on the subject at Media Matters:

It is nonetheless revealing that it was Trump who awarded Limbaugh the medal. You can draw a straight line between Limbaugh’s rise to prominence and his acceptance by the Republican establishment and the president’s own conquest of the party.

Limbaugh has had a virtually unmatched influence on Republican politics for the last 30 years, rising from obscurity to become a kingmaker who described himself as “the titular head” of the GOP. Speaking daily to an audience which grew to tens of millions, he converted listeners, often working-class whites who in the past might have been Democratic voters, into loyal “dittoheads” who spouted the platitudes of conservatism and supported Republicans. Party

Rush Limbaugh's bigotry set the stage for Trump's takeover of the Republican Partyhttps://t.co/tSOCGe46v8

— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) February 5, 2020

Conservatives from George H.W. Bush on down were happy to look past Limbaugh's transgressions because of the value he brought to the party. Some said he was right, others made excuses, others were silent.

— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) February 5, 2020

I'm sorry I had to write this. It should have been @SimonMaloy. Cancer is a brutal scourge, and no one, including Limbaugh, deserves the suffering this disease and its treatment demands. I wish him a speedy recovery.

— Matthew Gertz (@MattGertz) February 5, 2020

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