Donald Trump defends his religious faith: ‘I’m a believer, big league, in God’

Donald Trump slapped back at rival presidential candidate Ben Carson, who questioned the Republican frontrunner's faith.

“Who is he to question my faith? He knows nothing about me,” Trump said Thursday morning on CNN's "New Day."

“I am a man of faith,” Trump continued. “I hardly know Ben Carson. I’m a believer, big league, in God. I will hit back on that.”

Carson questioned the sincerity of Trump's faith during an interview Wednesday evening, saying the real estate tycoon and reality TV star did not display "humility and fear of the Lord."

Those comments infuriated Trump.

“When Ben Carson makes a phony statement, I am going to attack him," Trump said. “Ben Carson is not going to be the next president, that I can tell you.”

Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, is polling in second place behind Trump -- who earned nearly 30 percent to Carson's 16 percent.

“I don’t think he’s a great religious figure,” Trump said. “If you look at his faith, you’re not going to make it very far.”

He then took a swipe at Carson's medical background, which includes testing he conducted with other researchers on fetal tissue.

“He was an OK doctor,” Trump said. “He was heavy into the world of abortion.”

Watch video of Trump's remarks posted online by CNN: