A rock star who participates in left-wing causes has given a shock to her leftist fans by praising President Trump for honoring conservative radio icon Rush Limbaugh with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, paying tribute to her father at the same time, saying he “would have been so delighted” at Trump’s action.

Chrissie Hynde, 68, the lead singer of The Pretenders, who has a history of animal rights activism, issued a Twitter thread on Monday explaining why she was praising Trump. In the thread, she noted her father’s World War II service, the fact that he loved listening to Limbaugh, that her father often disagreed with her, then concluded by ripping those who refuse to tolerate disagreement. She wrote:

An open Letter to @realDonaldTrump, President of the United States. Dear Mr. President, I often think of how much my father, Melville “Bud” Hynde, who proudly served his country as a Marine on Guadalcanal, would have enjoyed your Presidency. The other day when you gave that award to Rush Limbaugh, my father would have been so delighted. He loved listening to Rush, which is why I allowed my song, “My City Was Gone,” to be used on his radio show. My father and I didn’t always see eye-to-eye. We argued a lot. But isn’t that the American way? The right to disagree without having your head chopped off?

Hynde continued by protesting the extradition of Julian Assange. In June 2019, the United States requested the United Kingdom extradite Assange so that he could stand trial for conspiracy and mishandling false information in America. Assange collaborated with the former Bradley Manning, who broke into classified U.S. military files and stole thousands of documents Manning believed would convince Americans to end the Iraq War.

The Daily Wire noted, “Assange accepted and published Manning’s material, which included audio and video files and, according to the charging documents, encouraged Manning to find more classified material. The U.S. government says Assange’s actions bypassed the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of the press because he openly assisted Manning in committing a criminal act (hacking into the classified files).”

Hynde wrote:

Soon, I will be participating in a protest in London against the extradition of Julian Assange. I know my father would be mortified, but I feel strongly enough to do what I believe is the right thing; to protest further punishment of a man who sought to defend Freedom, albeit in a way you rightly disagree with. I know Mr. Assange broke the law (as i have done defending the treatment of animals) but I believe he has been duly punished and should now be set free. Please consider my plea. Yours truly, Chrissie Hynde of @ThePretendersHQ

The other day when you gave that award to Rush Limbaugh, my father would have been so delighted. He loved listening to Rush, which is why I allowed my song, 'My City Was Gone', to be used on his radio show.

My father and I didn't always see eye-to-eye. We argued a lot [p2.] — Chrissie Hynde (@ChrissieHynde) February 17, 2020

but isn’t that the American way? The right to disagree without having your head chopped off?

Soon, I will be participating in a protest in London against the extradition of Julian Assange. I know my father would be mortified, but I feel strongly enough to do [p3.] — Chrissie Hynde (@ChrissieHynde) February 17, 2020

what I believe is the right thing; to protest further punishment of a man who sought to defend Freedom, albeit in a way you rightly disagree with. I know Mr. Assange broke the law (as i have done defending the treatment of animals) but I believe [p4.] — Chrissie Hynde (@ChrissieHynde) February 17, 2020

he has been duly punished and should now be set free.

Please consider my plea. Yours truly, Chrissie Hynde of @ThePretendersHQ (@MrsC_Assange) — Chrissie Hynde (@ChrissieHynde) February 17, 2020

Music Times wrote in 2015 about Hynde giving Limbaugh permission to use the bass riff from her song “My City Was Gone.” Music Times wrote of Hynde, ” … her parents were huge Limbaugh fanatics and that she’d be willing to strike a deal with him. He cut her a check rumored to be worth $100,000, which she donated to PETA, an organization they both supported (Limbaugh had spoken out against the Environmental Protection Agency’s plan to test chemicals on animals). He got to keep the song.”