Donald Trump has been attempting to drum up support amongst Christians by suggesting that Christianity will be left in "tatters" if President Joe Biden is re-elected for a second term.
Speaking to a national gathering of Christian conservative activists at the weekend, he accused the secular left of trying to "silence" and "shame" them from voting for him.
Addressing the Faith & Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority conference in Washington, DC, he implored attendees not to be complacent about voting next November.
The 78-year-old is the prospective Republican nominee for president in this year's elections.
Earlier this month he was found guilty of falsifying business records relating to hush money given to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels.
But on Saturday he urged the conference to back him.
"We need Christians to turn out in the largest numbers ever to tell crooked Joe Biden … 'Joe, you're fired,'" he said, adding "If Joe Biden gets in, Christianity will not be safe in a nation with no borders, no laws, no freedom, no future."
And he also referred to the recent backlash the Biden administration faced regarding the case of a catholic father and pro-life activist, Mark Houck, who hit the headlines after he protested outside of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Philadelphia.
Trump suggested the hostility from the Biden administration stems from the fact that "they know that our allegiance is not to them, our allegiance is to our country and our allegiance is to our Creator."
Other topics he discussed included the issue of trans women competing in female sports events and Christian persecution in the US.
Mentioning "brave Americans" as "persecuted Christians," he promised to "create a new federal task force on fighting anti-Christian bias" designed to "investigate all forms of illegal discrimination, harassment, persecution against Christians in America."
He also reflected on his record in office between 2017 and 2021 where he claimed he promoted religious liberty.
"I defended Judeo-Christian heritage like no president in the history of our country," he recalled. "With your help, I will continue to fight for our values and our civilization for four more years in the White House. We're going to straighten it out. We're going to straighten it out fast."
"The right to freedom of worship does not end at the door of the public school," said the former president, adding that he was the only person to hold the office to "convene a meeting at the United Nations to end religious persecution worldwide."