And when the news reached her mom and dad, she admits that they took it hard.

Second of all, they were having to deal with the fact that I’m gay in the newspaper.

Now, the elder Maddows are huge fans of their daughter’s MSNBC show.

Rachel Maddow

One message read: “Hi hon.

Another great show tonight.

I hope you don’t mind a little fashion advice.

Lester Holt, Chuck Todd, Rachel Maddow, and Savannah Gurthrie

I love your velvet jacket but I think it looks better for fall and winter.”

But she also suffers from cyclical depression which began when she was just 11 or 12.

And it’s manageable, but it’s real.

Rachel Maddow

She admits that the episodes, when they come, impacts her deeply.

“It affects my ability to focus and my preparation.

Like I just I’m used to it.

Rachel Maddow and Tucker Carlson

I lose my sense of smell and some other things like that happen … “I’m actually kind of a good shot.

And I thought, at her club?

You’re not really like a country club jot down person.

What kind of like some sort of dining club?

Her rod and gun club.

And I said sure.

And so it was ladies' day on the range.

It was an NRA event.

And the idea was to make the various shooting sports more fun for the ladies.

And so, Susan and I turned up.

It was the best possible first date in the entire world.”

But I would hope that we could argue about that from a position of mutual respect.”