Rich Madaleno Aims To ‘Piss Off Donald Trump’ By Kissing Husband In Ad For Maryland Governor Race
Rich Madaleno is running for governor in Maryland, and his new 30-second ad is all about standing up to President Trump. He first lists the ways that he stood up to Trump’s wishes, including supporting Planned Parenthood funding, banning assault weapons in Maryland, and supporting public schools. At the end of the ad, Madaleno adds, “What’s the number one way I piss off Donald Trump and the Republicans?” He then leans in to kiss his husband Mark Hodge on the lips, and says, “Take that, Trump.”
This political ad with a same-sex couple kissing may be the first of its kind, according to USA Today. Madaleno’s campaign manager, Keith Presley, explained their tactic.
“The refrain is ‘take that Trump’ — so we wanted to make sure the president had an opportunity to see this ad, and went with the network he tunes into.”
To ensure that Trump sees the ad, the campaign is running it during the Fox & Friends show in Washington, D.C.
During the campaign, Trump said that he would protect LGBT rights. However, since he’s been in office, he has implemented new policies that have reversed Obama-era progress when it comes to LGBT rights. For example, health workers can now decline to treat LGBT patients due to religious reasons, reported Politico.
In particular, transgender people have been targeted by changing policies. It started when Trump attempted to ban transgender soldiers. Also, transgender prisoners suffered a setback when Trump rolled back measures that allowed transgender prisoners to be classified according to their gender identity. Now, prisoners are being classified according to biological sex first, detailed Inquisitr.
Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, applauded Madaleno on their website.
“At a time when the White House and other anti-LGBTQ politicians are attempting to erase our visibility and rollback our rights, Rich Madaleno is boldly stating he’s proud of his family and will fight for all Marylanders if elected.”
Madaleno has been a member of the Senate since January 2007. Prior to that, he was elected to the House of Delegates in 2002. According to the Maryland Senate website, Madaleno has been called one of the “most effective and influential legislators in Annapolis.” Along with working to legalize same-sex marriage in the state and banning discrimination against the transgender community, Madaleno is a supporter of education, environment, and government transparency.
I’m running for governor to deliver progressive results, and to stand up to @realDonaldTrump and his normalization of hate in our country. #Maryland's progressive values need to shine and be a beacon for the nation. #MDgov #MDpolitics #MadalenoForMarylandhttps://t.co/Vp1acgshF4
— Rich Madaleno (@RichMadaleno) June 7, 2018
During the campaign, Trump took a different tune towards the LGBT community. Notably, he said, “Thank you to the LGBT community! I will fight for you while Hillary brings in more people that will threaten your freedoms and beliefs.”
