Discussing President Obama's February 10 town hall event in Fort Myers, Florida, Rush Limbaugh falsely claimed that a homeless woman at the event asked Obama for a “car” and a “new kitchen.” In fact, the woman, Henrietta Hughes, was simply saying that she needs housing. She stated: “I have an urgent need -- unemployment and homelessness, a very small vehicle for my family and I to live in. We need urgent, and the housing authority have two years waiting on this, and we need something more than a vehicle and parks to go to. We need our own kitchen and our own bathroom. Please help.”

During the February 10 edition of his nationally syndicated radio show, Limbaugh said, “There's another bite coming up here -- a crying woman named Henrietta asks Obama for a car, for a new kitchen, and a bathroom.” Limbaugh went on to assert: “Obama tells her to talk to his staff after the town hall. She asks for a car, a kitchen, and a bathroom.”

Before airing an audio clip of Hughes at the town hall, Limbaugh stated: “I mean, as an American, this is embarrassing, and it's sad, but there's a reason why -- there's a reason why this woman takes her one chance to talk to the president of the United States and ask and beg for a car and a kitchen.”

Moments after airing the clip, Limbaugh stated: “Do you hear the applause when the woman says she needed a car, a new vehicle, a new house?”

Later in the show, Limbaugh said Hughes was “the woman in Fort Myers that wants the house, the car, and the kitchen.”

Limbaugh also highlighted (subscription required) his comments on his website, RushLimbaugh.com, under the headline “Americans Beg Their President for Free Stuff at Town Hall Meeting.”

From the February 10 broadcast of Premiere Radio Networks' The Rush Limbaugh Show:

LIMBAUGH: There's another bite coming up here -- a crying woman named Henrietta asks Obama for a car, for a new kitchen, and a bathroom. I am not -- I am not kidding. “We need our own kitchen and our own bathroom. Please help.” And Obama says, “Well, what is your name?” And she says, “It's Henrietta Hughes.” And Obama tells her to talk to his staff after the town hall. She asks for a car, a kitchen, and a bathroom.

These are the people -- I'm telling you, we saw what we saw last night. These people saw -- if they watched this press conference -- they saw a guy who, in their eyes, only cares about getting them a job. That's -- I don't care about anything else. Or getting them a kitchen or a car. And his own brother doesn't even -- he's not even bought his brother a pot.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: OK. So this crowd, all they want is a kitchen. You know, all they want is a car and he's talking about their medical records being computerized and hiring -- can you imagine most of the people in this crowd: “What's IT? What does he mean IT?” If you're just now leaving the town meeting night and you're listening, IT is information technology. He's going to go out and hire a bunch of keypunchers to enter the data into the national computerized health care database, your health records.

All right, here's the woman. It's really sad. I mean, as an American, this is embarrassing, and it's sad, but there's a reason why -- there's a reason why this woman takes her one chance to talk to the president of the United States and ask and beg for a car and a kitchen.

[begin audio clip]

HUGHES: I respect you and I'm so grateful for you.

OBAMA: Thank you.

HUGHES: Been praying for you. But --

OBAMA: I believe in prayer, so I appreciate that.

HUGHES: I have an urgent need -- unemployment and homelessness, a very small vehicle for my family and I to live in. We need urgent, and the housing authority have two years waiting on this, and we need something more than a vehicle and parks to go to. We need our own kitchen and our own bathroom. Please help.

OBAMA: Well, I -- listen, I -- what's your name? What's your name?

HUGHES: It's Henrietta Hughes.

OBAMA: OK, Ms. Hughes, well, we're going to do everything we can to help you, but there are a lot of people like you. We're going to do everything we can, all right? But the -- I'll have my staff talk to you after this -- after the town hall, all right?

[end video clip]

LIMBAUGH: Do you think that the people who chose these people to ask questions on the Obama staff might have jobs right now? Did they purposely select these people for these questions? Do you think so? If they didn't, then some heads are going to roll. If they did purposely scour that crowd for these kinds of questions -- and there was more than just this one, so you have to assume this is what they wanted -- they want people looking at Obama this way. “Well, OK, going to do everything we can to help you; a lot of people in your position; lot of people; well, we can help you; have you talk to staff after the town hall.”

Do you hear the applause when the woman says she needed a car, a new vehicle, a new house? “Yeah.” And when Obama, “A lot of people like you.” “Yeah.” So we can sit here all day long and we can wax eloquent about how this guy comes off and how he's just wandering aimlessly, incoherent, but these people watching him last night, listening today, they think he's going to get them a job. Here -- here's the guy I told you about, an unidentified guy who wants his full salary to be made up in unemployment compensation.

[...]

LIMBAUGH: I asked the staff a moment ago a little trick question: Henrietta Hughes. She's the woman in Fort Myers that wants the house, the car, and the kitchen. And everybody thinks, “Well, it's the last we'll hear of Henrietta Hughes.”

No, it's not. I will bet you that inside of two weeks, Henrietta Hughes will be on Oprah, at which time she will get all of that stuff. Oprah's company will buy it, Oprah and Obama will share the credit, and we will see how the new America works together to solve problems. And then we will be told, “All you have to do is ask.”