It looks like Maryland gubernatorial candidate Sen. Rich Madaleno took a page out of John Oliver’s book on Thursday when he aired a campaign ad during the president’s favorite morning show, “Fox & Friends.” In the ad, which ran in the D.C. area yesterday, Madaleno highlights three ways he’s stood up to Donald Trump while in office — protecting Planned Parenthood, banning assault weapons and supporting public schools. But it’s the fourth bullet point that Madaleno says gets under Trump's skin the most, and for that one, actions speak louder than words. Sitting next to his husband, Mark Hodge, and their two kids Katie and Jackson, Madaleno leans over and kisses Hodge, marking the first time a candidate has kissed a same-sex spouse in a political ad, according to the LGBTQ Victory Fund. Madaleno then followed the kiss with an energetic, “Take that, Trump!”
If elected, the democratic candidate would be Maryland's first openly gay governor, and the timing of the ad is no coincidence. “June is LGBT Pride Month, and I couldn’t think of a better time to release this ad,” Madaleno said in a statement. “I am proud of my family, proud of my record of standing up for our progressive values and proud to be unflinching in standing up against hate. Love does truly trump hate.”
