New York Times: Trump scrapped plans for a coronavirus radio show out of concern that it would 'compete' with Rush Limbaugh's show

President Donald Trump recently floated the idea of a talk radio show focused on the coronavirus crisis before abandoning the plans out of fear that it would "compete" with Rush Limbaugh's radio program, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

Posted 4:16 p.m. Apr 15, 2020 — Updated 4:16 p.m. Apr 15, 2020

Devan Cole

, CNN

CNN — President Donald Trump recently floated the idea of a talk radio show focused on the coronavirus crisis before abandoning the plans out of fear that it would "compete" with Rush Limbaugh's radio program, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

The Times said Trump pitched the idea for the show at a White House coronavirus task force meeting in early March. Citing conversations with three White House officials who heard the pitch, the paper said the President said the show "would allow him to quell Americans' fears and answer their questions about the pandemic directly" by allowing listeners to call in and speak with him.

But the paper said Trump backed off the idea the same day he pitched it, reasoning that he didn't want to "compete" with Limbaugh's widely popular conservative talk show. The Times said someone suggested Trump hold the show on weekends or in the morning to avoid conflicting with Limbaugh's schedule, but Trump said "he envisioned his show as two hours a day, every day" and that he would proceed with the plans if the risk of creating competition for Limbaugh didn't exist.

The White House declined to comment to the Times on the matter.

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Limbaugh, who's hosted "The Rush Limbaugh Show" for more than 30 years, has been one of Trump's staunchest allies and one of the most influential figures to his political base. At the State of the Union address in February, the President awarded the Medal of Freedom to the conservative radio personality one day after the talk show host revealed he has advanced lung cancer.

The report comes as the President continues to grow anxious about reopening the largely dormant US economy, which has slowed to a halt as the country implemented restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the virus. The Times noted that Limbaugh has used his show to argue against the shutdown, including by saying this week that it was "'a political effort to get rid of Donald Trump in the election this November.'"

Limbaugh, who is known for his incendiary comments on minorities and progressives, has also made other controversial comments amid the coronavirus crisis. The radio host has also criticized Dr. Anthony Fauci, a key member of the White House task force, as a "Clinton sympathizer."

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