Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh accused "deep state" actors of using "every weapon" against President Trump ahead of this year's election.

Speaking on his show Friday, Limbaugh slammed a New York Times article published last week that said Russia is interfering in the 2020 contest. The longtime Republican castigated the national security apparatus for allowing leaks to subvert Trump's presidency.

"What they've tried with Trump here, this whole Russia meddling, Trump colluding, this whole thing is a gigantic lie, a totally bogus hoax, a silent coup," Limbaugh said. "Why should we believe about these people?"

"These are the people that told us there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq," he said, referring to the intelligence failure that led to the Iraq War. "I think there was as much resentment in the deep state, we just didn't call it that then, for George W. Bush as there is today for Donald Trump."

Trump awarded Limbaugh with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at this month's State of the Union address after the radio host revealed he had been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. Limbaugh was criticized weeks after receiving the award for suggesting Trump would easily defeat former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg in a general election matchup because he is gay.