Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg has issued a sharp new response to comments about his sexuality from right-wing radio host Rush Limbaugh.

Speaking at a televised CNN town hall, Mr Buttigieg said: “One thing about my marriage is it’s never involved me having to send hush money to a porn star after cheating on my spouse with him or her.”

Referring to Mr Limbaugh and Donald Trump, he continued: “So they wanna debate family values? Let’s debate family values. I’m ready.”

Mr Limbaugh has been the target of bipartisan criticism since he argued on air that the US is not ready for a gay president, and that many voters would not react well to the sight of a gay candidate kissing his husband on stage.

After his comments were met with outrage, he claimed that Mr Trump had told him in a private phone call to “never apologise”, and that low-information voters probably hadn’t known about Mr Buttigieg’s sexuality until he talked about it on his show.

Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Show all 18 1 /18 Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Jessica Canicosa, a precinct captain for Bernie Sanders, waits to greet caucus voters at Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Hotel workers at the Bellagio in Las Vegas get to grips with voting papers during the Nevada caucuses AFP via Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A caricature of Bernie Sanders is projected on to a tree during a rally in Las Vegas EPA Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A woman waits to have a photo taken with Elizabeth Warren during a town hall meeting in Las Vegas REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures The threat of coronavirus and other germ-borne illnesses was on some voters' minds at the Democratic caucuses in Henderson, Nevada Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Former vice-president Joe Biden takes a selfie with a voter in Las Vegas ahead of the Nevada caucuses REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Amy Klobuchar changes her shoes backstage after giving a speech in Exeter, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A warmly-wrapped-up dog attends an Elizabeth Warren event at Amherst Elementary School in Nashua, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Bernie Sanders, who romped to victory in New Hampshire against Hillary Clinton in 2016, talks to the media in Manchester Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden was hoping to improve on his poor showing in Iowa in the New Hampshire primary Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren, renowned for giving time to supporters for selfies, works the crowd at the University of New Hampshire in Durham Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden takes a selfie with a supporter and his child outside a campaign event in Somersworth, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders quarrel after a confrontation in a TV debate in which Sanders claimed that Warren was not telling the truth about a conversation in which she claimed he had said a woman could not win the presidency on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Supporter Pat Provencher listens to Pete Buttigieg in Laconia, New Hampshire on 4 February Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Pete Buttigieg speaks at a campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire while awaiting the results of the Iowa caucus Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren is presented with a balloon effigy of herself at a campaign event in Nashua, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A Trump supporter rides past a rally for Amy Klobuchar in Des Moines, Iowa on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A man holds up a sign criticising billionaires in the presidential race in front of Michael Bloomberg in Compton, Califronia. The former New York mayor skipped the first caucus in Iowa and instead campaigned in California on 3 February Reuters

Mr Limbaugh, who has a long history of making homophobic remarks, has long been a supporter of Mr Trump. He is currently married to his fourth wife, having been divorced three times.

Mr Buttigieg’s reference to paying a porn star describes Mr Trump’s alleged affair with actress Stormy Daniels, who received $130,000 from Mr Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen in 2016 as part of a nondisclosure agreement. Mr Buttigieg has alluded to the Daniels affair before, once calling vice-president Mike Pence the “cheerleader of the porn star presidency”.

Mr Trump also stands accused by multiple women of sexual harassment and assault.

The fracas over Mr Limbaugh’s comments comes as Mr Buttigieg tries to retain his frontrunner status in the fight for the Democratic presidential nomination.