Rush Limbaugh Calls Into The Five: Praises Fox News, Battles With Beckel, And Slams Media Over Zimmerman

Rush Limbaugh called into Fox's The Five this afternoon for a wide-ranging interview that included open praise for Fox News, his thoughts on the George Zimmerman trial, immigration reform, and the future of the Republican Party.

Limbaugh kicked off the conversation by answering questions about whether he told his listeners to "stop watching Fox." He reiterated what he said on the air Tuesday afternoon that he meant the remark towards particular liberal pundits on television. He chalked the controversy up to the media's "desire" to "drive a wedge" among two of the more popular outlets for conservative media consumers — Fox and Limbaugh.

The radio host then offered up his thoughts on why The Five has been successful: "It's real," he said. "You guys make the show because it's a personality driven and it's just real. It just happens and it's relevant, it's topical. And all of you are relatively intelligent."

Co-host Andrea Tantaros asked the radio host to explain the nickname he gave her: Angela Tarantula. "It's a sexist answer," Limbaugh warned. "I come from a long-ago era where men could be men and stereotypical humor didn't offend anybody. You are so dominant and certain and confident I wouldn't want to mess with you."

The group then talked news-of-the-day with Limbaugh, asking him for his thoughts on the media coverage of the Zimmerman trial: "I think the media, you all excluded, is invested in a guilty verdict. And they are invested in a guilty verdict that is racial."

On immigration reform: "I really believe the Democrat Party needs a permanent underclass. They need a permanent dependent class of people low-educated, low-wage, low-skill dependent on government. They need that. Now as Americans climb the ladder of success and elevate themselves through the middle class and are less dependent on government, the Democrat races to replace them. They clearly see 11 million votes here."

On whether the GOP is attempting to appeal to some of the Democratic base through immigration reform: "We got the greatest opportunity — the Republicans do — to contrast themselves with what the Democrat Party stands for and they're not using it. They're trying to be Democrat Party light. They're trying to echo the Democrat Party, be perceived by them and liked by Democrat voters. It's a losing game."

And on the recent NSA scandal: "They've been doing that for ages," he said before asking to come back and talk on that issue in greater detail.

Watch the full segment below, via Fox: