Former Vice President Mike Pence spoke out with critical comments about the former president's faith in a recent speech.

Pence noted that Donald Trump liked the Bible passages about judgment on enemies.

Pence implies Trump is a bad Christian as 2024 announcement looms https://t.co/QjA8NKqrJt

— GOP Contenders (@GOPContenders) March 17, 2023

The comments

“I once invited President Trump to Bible study,” Pence said in the speech.

“He really liked the passages about the smiting and perishing of thine enemies. As he put it, ‘Ya know, Mike, there’s some really good stuff in here,'" he added.

Mike Pence implies Trump is a bad Christianhttps://t.co/DvZbdlRHmd

— Piyush Mittal 🇺🇸🇺🇦 (@piyushmittal) March 16, 2023

The strategy

"Pence reportedly threw Trump under the bus at the Gridiron Club’s annual Spring dinner on Saturday in Washington D.C.," Political Flare reported.

"Attendees at the event, which typically includes notable D.C. figureheads, legislators, and journalists, speculated that Pence’s attempt to draw a laugh at Trump’s expense was the former VP’s way of testing the water before he announced a rumored 2024 election bid," it added.

Thought Trump was supposed to be Cyrus, a bad man Christians could use? Mike Pence implies that Trump is a fake Christian. https://t.co/FDMnAvTioI

— Leigh Price (@LeighMike87) March 16, 2023

“I read that some of those classified documents they found at Mar-a-Lago were actually stuck in the president’s Bible … which proves he had absolutely no idea they were there," Pence also joked.

Pence has repeatedly sought to contrast his platform with that of Trump in recent weeks, with many speculating that the former vice president is soon expected to announce a presidential run of his own.

If so, he would join former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley as a previous Trump supporter to run against him.

So far, the only contender to poll in double digits or closely compete with Trump has been Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis who has yet to declare whether he will run in 2024 as candidates make decisions whether to take on Trump.

The latest swipes against Trump may offer an attempt to contrast the former president with Pence but are so far not making much of a difference in his potential polling as a presidential candidate. Pence may find himself as one of a team of conservative leaders out to criticize Trump as many in the party seek an alternative candidate more likely to defeat President Joe Biden in 2024 in key battleground states.