Jon Stewart Rips Fox News Over Obama ‘God’-less Thanksgiving Claims (Video)

Network accuses Obama of not mentioning God in Thanksgiving address — even though he did, in writing

Is Thanksgiving becoming the latest holiday to be turned into "yet another one of those Christian persecution culture war type things?"

Jon Stewart hopes not. The "Daily Show" host takes issue with Fox News' taking issue with President Obama not mentioning God in a YouTubed Thanksgiving message — even though Obama did mention God in a written statement about the holiday.

Stewart noted that Fox News acknowledged that President George W. Bush left God out of one of his eight Thanksgiving messages, and that President Clinton mentioned God in only half of them.

"I get it, I see what you're doing," Stewart said. "This is about turning Thanksgiving into yet another one of those Christian persecution culture war type things. And let me just say: Don't you do it. Don't you do it to Thanksgiving. I'll give you the war on Christmas. We are trying to f— that up. I'll give that up. But this is all Reform Jews have left. … Name another holiday where you can get drunk around your kids by 2 p.m."

Though several Fox News shows included criticism about Obama's message, Fox News commentator Dana Perino did come to Obama's defense. Appearing on "The Five" on Friday, the former Bush White House press secretary said sometimes the president includes a reference to God, and sometimes he doesn't.

"I think if you look back at the Thanksgiving messages in the past three presidencies, usually it's in there," she said. "Sometimes it's not, including the last year of President Bush's administration. It's depending on the speech writer at the time and what the president feels like saying. I just don't read anything in this."

Watch Stewart:

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