Limbaugh: Why isn't GOP defending president?

President Trump speaks at his first State of the Union address on Jan. 30, 2018 (Photo: screenshot)

Talk-radio host Rush Limbaugh is wondering why the Republican Party isn't out there defending its president, who has recently been the target of vicious comments from Hollywood types.

Perhaps, he said Monday, it's because those Republicans still are fawning over the far-left agenda and values of progressives, still trying to obtain their favor.

Limbaugh was responding to vile comments by actor Robert De Niro, who declared "f--- Trump" in an appearance at the Tony Awards Sunday night.

"The root of this is 20 years old or maybe older. And it's born of the belief the Republicans had that the media has cast us as racist, sexist, bigots, homophobes. And so we have to every day prove that we are not, meaning, we're gonna accept the media premise," Limbaugh said.

"The media says we're racist, sexist, bigot, homophobe, we're gonna assume people believe it, and therefore our objective is to convince people that we're not. And how do we do that? By criticizing us, by criticizing ourselves. That's the magic," he said.

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"It's the entire Republican establishment that, for decades now, has believed the way you get moderate voters, the way you get independents is to criticize your own party, to go along with the Democrats and the media and criticize your own party. To not criticize Democrats. If you criticize Democrats, then you're being divisive. If you criticize Democrats, you're being racist if Obama's in the White House. If you criticize Democrats, you're criticizing poor people or what have you," he said.

"And these establishment Republicans obviously still believe this! They think that they're gonna gain support or credibility by criticizing their own, by joining the media and the Democrats. Is it not time to get past this? The fact of the matter is, the Republican Party and Donald Trump are being lied about regularly and consistently multiple times a day. And the left is doing it with increasing vulgarity, with increasing perversion and promiscuity. And there's not a single ounce of criticism of them. No, we're told that in order to have credibility, we must be willing to criticize Trump when he steps over the line."

He said the double standard is obvious: If Republicans criticize Democrats they're "divisive."

But Democrats, the media and Hollywood "seem to be able to cross the line with impunity!'

His advice?

"Well, screw the media! The voters don't hold the media in much respect anyway. But why let the media set the premise and the narrative here? And when are the Republicans gonna get rid of this silly idea that they have to prove they're not racist, sexist, bigot, homophobe and the way to do that is to criticize their own."

He said there needs to be pushback from Republicans.

"Trump can't do it all. But he does the lion's share of it. And we do what we can here. But where is the Republican Party that represents all of these people being attacked?"