Joe Biden said Sunday that Republicans and Donald Trump are scared to take him on in the general elections in November.

'I've never seen a sitting president and his allies this frightened about who may be the nominee,' Biden told the Des Moines Register over the weekend.

His comments came after Republican Senator Joni Ernst predicted earlier in the day Sunday that if Biden was victorious in his presidential run, the GOP would waste no time in impeaching him.

Biden, 77, said he has never met Ernst, 49, but claimed, 'She just reinforces everything that was the reason why the president was being impeached: They very much don't want to face me obviously.'

Joe Biden claimed Sunday that Republicans are 'frightened' he could become the Democratic nominee

The comments came after Iowa Senator Joni Ernst said Republicans could jump on the opportunity to impeach Biden should he become president

The former vice president also asserted in an interview that aired Monday morning that the only thing 'wrong' with his son's position on a Ukrainian natural gas firm was that it 'sets a bad image'

"It's a good thing that no one's found anything wrong with his dealing with Ukraine except they say it sets a bad image," says former Vice President Joe Biden on his son's dealings with Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/9SLk62WPCK — TODAY (@TODAYshow) February 3, 2020

The articles of impeachment – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress – stemmed from Trump's all with his Ukrainian counterpart, where he urged him to launch a potential corruption investigation into Biden and his son Hunter.

Democrats claim this move was made in an attempt by Trump to harm his political opponent's chance and influence the 2020 elections in his own favor.

But Biden said in a Today Show interview that aired Monday morning that the investigation was unable to unearth anything that he or his son did wrong in regards to Ukraine.

'It's a good thing that no one's found anything wrong with his dealing with Ukraine except they say it sets a bad image,' Biden told NBC's Savannah Guthrie.

Biden then charged the reporter with not knowing what she's talking about.

'Do you think it was wrong from him to take that position–'

'No,' he prematurely answered.

'–knowing that it was really because that company wanted access to you?' Guthrie finished her question.

'Well that's not true. You're saying things – you do not know what you're talking about. No one said that. Who said that? Who said that?' Biden lashed back.

'Don't you think that it's just one of those things where people think, 'Well that seems kind of sleazy. Why would he have that job if not for who his father was?' Guthrie pushed.

'He's a very bright guy,' Biden pushed back, but admitted he could see the 'appearance' was off.

'Well, he said he regretted having done it,' Biden continued of his son. 'Speak for himself. He's a grown man.'

Biden said Today reporter Savannah Guthrie (right) didn't know what she was talking about when she asked if the move for his son to take the board position was 'sleazy'

Hunter Biden (pictured) took a job on the board of a Ukrainian natural energy firm in 2014 – while his father was still vice president

Biden has come under scrutiny following revelations of Trump's July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelesnky.

Trump insists nothing improper was discussed on the call, and instead says he was urging the Eastern European country to investigate potential corruption stemming from Hunter Biden's past board position with Ukrainian natural gas firm, Burisma Holdings.

Hunter assumed the post in 2014, when his father was still serving as Barack Obama's vice president. He left the firm in 2019.

Despite never meeting, Ernst, an Iowa senator, and Biden have been sparring all week.

Despite never meeting, the Iowa senator and former vice president have been sparring all week.

'I think this door of impeachable whatever has been opened,' Ernst told Bloomberg News in the interview Sunday morning.

'Joe Biden should be very careful what he's asking for because, you know, we can have a situation where if it should ever be President Biden, that immediately, people, right the day after he would be elected would be saying, 'Well, we're going to impeach him,' she continued.

Her comments came a day before the state she represents in the U.S. Senate – Iowa – will hold the first-in-the-nation caucus Monday.

Biden admitted in his Today interview that the caucus results weren't clinched.

'I think it's going to be very close,' he told Guthrie.

A senior adviser to Ernst, Brook Ramlet, clarified Sunday that the senator did not feel Biden should be impeached if he becomes president, but was making a hypothetical point about the politicalization of impeachment.

Last week, Ernst said that she's 'really interested to see how this discussion today informs and influences the Iowa caucus voters.' She was specifically referencing the impeachment proceedings.

'Those Democratic caucusgoers, will they be supporting Vice President Biden at this point?' she questioned at the time.

But Biden said in his interview Sunday that he doesn't believe Ernst's comments – or others like it – will stop him from succeeding if he is chosen as the Democratic nominee.

'There is an appetite, but not the Joni Ernsts of the world,' he said.

'There's some that are just beyond the pale, but I think there are at least a dozen Republicans who know we have to do something about health care, at least a dozen of them know we have to do something about keeping prescription drug prices down, know we have to do something about increasing access to education and so on,' Biden continued.

While campaigning in Iowa ahead of the caucus, Biden received some the loudest applause of the week when he told attendees they could 'Ruin Joni Ernst's night' by caucusing for him.

'Did anyone see what Sen. Joni Ernst said yesterday?' Biden asked supporters Tuesday in Muscatine, Iowa. 'She spilled the beans.'

Democratic socialist Bernie Sanders has emerged in pre-Iowa caucus polls as the Party's frontrunner in the first-in-then-nation primary competition. Biden admits that the caucus will be 'very close'

The clash comes also at a time when Biden continues to slip in the polls and Bernie Sanders has emerged as the favored Democratic candidate in Iowa.

A New York Times poll released Sunday showed Biden, once a far-ahead frontrunner, tied with Sanders, and a Real Clear Politics average has Sanders with 24.2 per cent support from Iowans while Biden holds 20.2 per cent.

Biden, however, still coasting on the wings of his ties to Trump's predecessor, assured supporters in his interview Monday morning that caucusing or voting for him in the primary would essentially extend Obama's presidency into a third term.

'Pete Buttigieg says you represent an old playbook and nominating you is a risky choice?' Guthrie said, referencing comments made by the former South Bend, Indiana Mayor – who is the youngest Democratic candidate.

'If this were a third term for Barack Obama would he say it's a risky choice?' Biden posed in response.

'Is that how you see it?' Guthrie asked.

'No my point is I see it as moving on from what we started,' he clarified.