Washington DC - Former Vice President Mike Pence has come out against Donald Trump's recent appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to his presidential cabinet, and is urging the Senate to reject the pick.

On Friday, Pence released a statement via his Advancing American Freedom, in which he argued that Trump's choosing Kennedy for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services is "an abrupt departure from the pro-life record of our administration and should be deeply concerning to pro-life Americans."

"For the majority of his career, RFK Jr. has defended abortion on demand during all nine months of pregnancy, supports overturning the Dobbs decision, and has called for legislation to codify Roe v Wade," Pence wrote.

"If confirmed, RFK, Jr. would be the most pro-abortion Republican appointed secretary of HHS in modern history."

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Pence, who is a well-known staunchly pro-life conservative, served as Trump's running mate in 2016, but the two became estranged after his boss tried to pressure him to help overturn the 2020 election results.

He has since become an outspoken critic of Trump and was one of his earliest rivals in the Republican primaries earlier this year. He ultimately dropped out last October due to poor polling, but notably refused to endorse Trump for president.

The former Indiana governor went on to urge the US Senate, which must approve all of Trump's appointments, to reject Kennedy in exchange for "a leader who will respect the sanctity of life."

Throughout the presidential race, Trump has faced heat over his positions regarding abortion and reproductive rights.

While he has always tried to maintain his strong support among Christian conservatives and pro-life voters, he recently angered both groups after he vowed to never sign a national abortion ban if re-elected.

He also promised to provide free IVF for all Americans, which will be paid for either by insurance companies or the government.

In the wake of his appointment, Trump recently revealed that Kennedy would "take care of women's health and men's health and your children's health."