-Rush Limbaugh, to whom the president recently
awarded the nation's top civilian honor,
described you as "a 37-year-old gay guy, mayor of South Bend,
who loves to kiss his husband on the debate stage."
Now, there has been bipartisan criticism of him
for those remarks.
I wanted to give you a chance to respond if you would like to.
-Well, I love my husband.
I'm faithful to my husband.
On stage, we usually just go for a hug,
but I love him very much.
And I'm not gonna take lectures on family values
from the likes of Rush Limbaugh.
I'm proud of my marriage, and I'm proud of my husband,
and I'm not gonna be lectured on family values
from the likes of Rush Limbaugh
or anybody who supports Donald J Trump as the moral
as well as political leader of the United States.
America has moved on, and we should have a politics
of belonging that welcomes everybody.
That's what the American people are for,
and I am saddened for what the Republican Party has become
if they embrace that kind of homophobic rhetoric.
When it comes to LGBTQ issues, this is --
I think the most important thing
is not the treatment of candidates.
It's what's happening to individuals
and families across the country, from brave service members
who have their careers threatened by this president
to kids experiencing bullying right now in this climate.
We can do better, and you don't have to be a diehard Democrat
to know that we can do better
when it comes to inclusion and equality in this country.
Prejudice is still out there, and you got to deal with it.
But I would not have been able to get re-elected
the way I did, in Mike Pence's Indiana,
if people were not able to look past that.
-Have you taken a moment to appreciate
the history you've made?
-There's not a lot of time for reflection in the campaign,
but yeah, there was a moment before we went out,
when Chasten pulled me in and just reminded me
what this means for some kid peeking around the closet door,
wondering if this country has a place for them.
And, you know, I didn't set out to be the gay president,
but certainly seeing what this means
is really meaningful and really powerful.