Whatever else you may think of Pete Buttigieg, you have to admire how he took the bullies by the horns when the Democratic presidential candidate was asked on Fox News about right-wing smears of his sexuality.

Yesterday, on Fox News Sunday, the Democratic presidential candidate was asked about right-wing mouthpieces Rush Limbaugh and Sebastian Gorka attacking his sexuaity and same-sex marriage.

CHRIS WALLACE (ANCHOR): Mayor, you have been very open about the fact that you're gay. And it hasn't been much of an issue in this campaign until now. This week, two conservative supporters of President Trump, Rush Limbaugh and Sebastian Gorka, talked about it on their shows. 

Take a look. 

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) 

RUSH LIMBAUGH, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR: A gay guy, 37 years old, loves kissing his husband on debate stages. Can you see Trump have fun with that? 

SEBASTIAN GORKA, FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT: Why is a homosexual man lecturing us about the sanctity of life in the womb? Just a little curious there. Strange. 

(END VIDEO CLIP) 

WALLACE: Mayor, what's your reaction to those comments? 

BUTTIGIEG: Well, I am in a faithful, loving, committed marriage. I'm -- I'm proud of my marriage. And I'm proud of my husband. And I'm not going to 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. 

I remain neutral in this primary but one thing I vehemently support is Democrats combatting the right-wing smear machine just as directly, forcefully and, I’d argue, as effectively as Buttigieg did here. Fox News even made Buttigieg’s line the headline of its online video.

You can watch it below, from the February 16, 2020 Fox News Sunday.