David Barton spars with Jon Stewart: Activist and evangelical Christian defends views on Thomas Jefferson’s religion

David Barton—the evangelical activist and author, not the sexy gym namesake—appeared on "The Daily Show" on Tuesday, sparring with Jon Stewart about his controversial new book, "The Jefferson Lies: Exposing the Myths You've Always Believed About Thomas Jefferson."

In the book, Barton argues that Thomas Jefferson was not an atheist but "nondenominational," that religion played a role in the founding of the United States—and that Christianity is under attack in America.

Stewart, who is Jewish, challenged Barton on that last point. "Coming from a non-Christian perspective, Christianity seems pretty safe, and pretty ubiquitous, and kind of overwhelming at times," Stewart said. "It feels like it's the most accepted thing we have other than snack foods."

The appearance of Barton—a well-known Christian conservative, GOP adviser and "behind-the-scenes political operative"—on the Comedy Central show quickly began trending online.

Watch the full interview above.

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