Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose strong, conservative political views are well-documented, is facing backlash Sunday following his decision to honor Rush Limbaugh.

DeSantis announced Friday that flags in his state would be flown at half-staff in memory of Limbaugh, who died last week at 70 due to lung cancer.

Limbaugh, who lived in Palm Beach, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Donald Trump last year.

“Once the date of interment for Rush is announced, we’re going to be lowering the flags to half-staff,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday at a news conference in West Palm Beach.

“Rush busted through a media landscape …” DeSantis said earlier this week, and inspired a “loyal army of American patriots.”

The decision was not well-received by Florida Democrats.

“Rush Limbaugh weaponized his platform to spread racism, xenophobia and homophobia across the nation,” Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Fla.) tweeted Friday. “DeSantis’ decision to honor him is an embarrassment to Florida.”

Another Democratic state representative felt the action was miguided.

“Lowering the flag of the United States is a high honor reserved for those who have honorably and bravely served our state and our nation,” said State Sen. Gary Farmer in a statement.

That belief seems to be supported by Florida’s flag protocol, which says flags can be flown at half-staff “in the event of the death of a present or former official of the Florida State government or the death of a member of the Armed Forces from Florida who dies while serving on active duty.”

Exceptions include a constituent’s formal request for flags to be lowered for other reasons, but it wasn’t clear whether that occurred in this case.

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