Marco Rubio on insulting Donald Trump: I wouldn't want to do anything Jesus wouldn't be proud of

U.S. Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio addresses supporters ahead of Minnesota's evening Super Tuesday caucuses in Andover, Minnesota March 1, 2016. | REUTERS / Eric Miller

Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio says he does not want to attack his rivals --- including Donald Trump --- in such a way that Jesus would not approve of.

On Thursday, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said he would not insult Donald Trump in any way that would disappoint God or his kids. However, the Republican admitted that the billionaire is one presidential candidate who deserves personal attacks, Christian Post reports.

"If I don't do it, it'll be because I don't want to do anything, for example, that Jesus wouldn't be proud of, to be honest with you," Rubio told Bill O'Reilly of Fox News. "Or that my kids would look at and say, 'I don't want you to keep doing that.'"

Rubio said Trump had spent the last year launching personal attacks on people, and that there comes a time when one has to stand up and point out that the other person could also be attacked personally on several points.

Speaking of personal attacks, Rubio himself criticized Trump during last Thursday's debate over the class action lawsuit that Trump University is facing over the non-accredited courses that students paid for. 

Trump, on the other hand, has mocked Rubio for being a "nervous basket case" who allegedly sweated a lot backstage during a recent debate.

For Rubio, his jokes about Trump are not a sign that he is stooping down to the latter's level. In an interview with NPR, Rubio said he is just giving the billionaire a taste of his own medicine because he has been "personally offending" a lot of people including women, minorities, and the disabled.

Although Trump is by far the favorite at this point to win the GOP nomination, Rubio is still confident that he will win the Florida primary on March 15, which he hopes will act as a platform to start to catch Trump.