Rush Limbaugh in 'State of Disbelief' Over Presidential Medal of Freedom

Rush Limbaugh is gonna need a few days to recover from the shock of receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- that's clear from his stunned face last night on Capitol Hill.

We got the famed conservative talk show host Tuesday night as he was leaving President Trump's State of the Union address, where he became one of the surprise moments of the night -- getting the nation's highest civilian honor.

Rush confirms he had no idea it was coming, telling us, he's in a "state of disbelief" and didn't expect it at all. He says he's as honored as he can be, though ... and he's definitely not turning it down.

As we reported ... Limbaugh was recently diagnosed with advanced lung cancer and will be taking time off from his show to receive treatments. Trump addressed the situation while presenting Rush with the honor, saying it's not good news ... but the good news is Limbaugh is the "greatest fighter and winner you will ever meet."

Clearly, the medal hanging around Rush's neck has him feeling like even more of a winner as he prepares for his upcoming fight.