Rush Limbaugh Dismisses, Mocks NYT Analysis Linking His Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric to El Paso Mass Shooter’s

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh sought to tried to dismiss a New York Times report from Sunday that compared years of his on-air rhetoric to the text of the El Paso mass shooter’s manifesto: “It think it’s a flailing attempt. I think it’s a last gasp attempt.”

According to the Times’ detailed analysis, many examples of the anti-immigrant rhetoric from Limbaugh’s radio show, as well as other right-wing media figures like Fox News’ Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham, were also repeatedly echoed in the El Paso mass shooter’s xenophobic themes and phrases about a “Mexican invasion.”

Limbaugh, however, proclaimed himself unbothered by the striking similarities.

“I know the motivation behind it. It’s been a constant attempt by the left since I started this program to discredit me, to impugn me,” Limbaugh said. “I don’t have it in me to be righteously indignant and ‘How dare they!’ because I think this is a flailing attempt. I think it’s a last gasp attempt.”

Per the Times’documented analysis: “Limbaugh has repeatedly described the flow of migrants across the Mexico border as a flood that will overtake America with cheap labor and dilute the country’s identity.” The right-wing radio host did not try to directly refute the Times‘ facts or analysis. Instead he just simply dismissed it out of hand.

“I don’t even want to seriously credit [the Times] by having to seriously defend or react to this outrageous allegation,” Limbaugh replied. “We’ve read the guy’s manifesto, this guy who shot up in El Paso was, by no means, a fan of conservative media.”

Limbaugh then pivoted to accusing the paper of attacking his listeners, claiming the Times, as part of “The Left” believes that his listeners are “are bunch of mind-numbed robots who are incapable of thinking anything on their own.”

You can listen above, via The Rush Limbaugh Show.