Trump and Bloomberg trade blows as the president targets the Democratic contender

President Donald Trump insulted former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg over his height again on Thursday, prompting the billionaire Democratic presidential candidate to blast Trump as "a carnival barking clown."

Promoting a photoshopped image of Bloomberg posted by White House social media director Dan Scavino, Trump called Bloomberg "a LOSER who has money but can’t debate and has zero presence, you will see."

"He reminds me of a tiny version of Jeb 'Low Energy' Bush, but Jeb has more political skill and has treated the Black community much better than Mini!" Trump said, resurfacing his attack on Bush from the last campaign and pointing to years-old eye-opening comments Bloomberg made in defense of "stop-and-frisk" — a policy Trump has backed as president — that gained attention this week.

Trump continued in a second tweet that Bloomberg "is a 5’4” mass of dead energy who does not want to be on the debate stage with these professional politicians."

"No boxes please," Trump said. "He hates Crazy Bernie and will, with enough money, possibly stop him. Bernie’s people will go nuts!"

Bloomberg snapped back on Twitter, saying that he and Trump "know many of the same people in NY."

"Behind your back they laugh at you & call you a carnival barking clown," Bloomberg continued. "They know you inherited a fortune & squandered it with stupid deals and incompetence. I have the record & the resources to defeat you. And I will."

Trump has repeatedly mocked Bloomberg's height and refers to him as "Mini Mike."