Things got a little awkward when House Minority Whip Eric Cantor stopped by “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” on Tuesday night.

The Virginia Republican came on the show to promote his new book, “Young Guns,” which he penned with fellow Republican Reps. Paul Ryan (Wis.) and Kevin McCarthy (Calif.).

Cantor’s appearance began lightheartedly enough, as Cantor greeted Stewart with a joke. “I just want to pick up that book and throw it at you,” Cantor said, making light of a book being thrown at President Barack Obama at a Philadelphia rally over the weekend. Stewart summed up “Young Guns” as “freedom and liberty blah blah blah.”

While a short clip of the interview aired on Comedy Central, an extended version was posted on the show’s website. Although the interview may have started on a light note, it took a turn when Stewart grilled Cantor about the state of the Republican Party.

That’s when things got a little tense.

Republicans “believe in principles. You ridicule freedom,” Cantor said.

“I don’t ridicule freedom,” Stewart responded. “I ridicule the idea that it’s a slogan and a platitude and not a reality, and that government is the only impingement on freedom.”

Burn! Here’s hoping these two don’t run into each other in D.C. later this month during Stewart’s “Rally to Restore Sanity” on the National Mall.

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