Former Vice President Joe Biden fired back at 2020 rival Sen. Bernie Sanders after his claim that President Trump would “eat his lunch” in the upcoming election.

The Democratic presidential candidate responded while in Iowa on Friday to remarks made by Sanders during an interview with The Los Angeles Times which was published Thursday.

(Video: Twitter)

The Vermont senator declared he was not going to “attack” Biden, whom he referred to as a “personal friend,” but went on to do just that after being asked about the campaign.

“What do you say to voters who worry that in a general election a candidate as far to the left as you are is gonna alienate swing voters and moderates and independents?” Sanders was asked during a question-and-answer session with the Los Angeles Times editorial board.

(Video: Los Angeles Times)

“Excellent question,” the Vermont Independent quipped before offering a lengthy response, adding that “anyone who underestimates Donald Trump as a candidate, for a variety of reasons, will be very mistaken.”

After touting himself as “by far the strongest candidate to reach out” to a variety of voters, Sanders criticized “people who run the same old, same old type of campaign.”

“And you know, Joe Biden is a personal friend of mine, so I’m not here to, you know, to attack him,” he said. “But my God, if you are, if you’re a Donald Trump and you got Biden having voted for the war in Iraq, Biden having voted for these terrible, in my view, trade agreements, Biden having voted for the bankruptcy bill – Trump will eat his lunch.”

CBS News correspondent Bo Erickson asked Biden about the comments on Friday.

“Senator Sanders said that with your vote on the Iraq War and trade, President Trump will eat your lunch in the general election,” Erickson said. “Will he eat your lunch?”

“Tell him to come and I’ll give him some dessert at the White House,” Biden quipped, with a smile.

“Who, President Trump?” Erickson asked.

“Sanders,” Biden replied.

Biden and Sanders appear to be the favorites to win the Democratic presidential nomination as polls indicate their numbers are very close. The latest RealClearPolitics averages showed Biden with an average of 27.9 percent support, while Sanders came in with 19 percent.

With a steady lead in national polls over other top candidates, Biden outperforms Sanders in head-to-head match-ups against President Trump. But many Sanders supporters claim their candidate is being “shut out” by the media.

Thousands were at a Bernie Sanders rally in Venice. Where was the @latimes? https://t.co/eoZYOumyzP — People for Bernie (@People4Bernie) December 24, 2019

“I didn’t see pundits mentioning @BernieSanders very much after the most recent #DemDebate,” pollster Frank Luntz tweeted.

I didn’t see pundits mentioning @BernieSanders very much after the most recent #DemDebate. But my @LATimes focus group of regular voters said he won the night.https://t.co/tSB0xRLjgL — Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) December 23, 2019

“But my @LATimes focus group of regular voters said he won the night,” he added.

Twitter users reacted to Biden’s latest jab at Sanders and mocked the battle between “these old guys.”

Imagine being a woman running and saying this. — Colin Seeberger (@CMSeeberger) December 28, 2019

Good lord… this guy is the front runner… — Don Washington (@Drobsidian) December 28, 2019

Oh my, these old guys….. they worry me. — KC Buck (@KcBuck) December 28, 2019

The closest Biden will ever get to the White House again is by taking a public tour. — M_Cherry_315Ⓥ? (@M_Cherry_315) December 28, 2019

This new Grumpy Old Men season looks lit. — Street Pigeons (@DruciferTurak) December 28, 2019

That’s cute. At least he didn’t challenge him to pushups. — Deleted Profile (@_Derek_Morgan) December 28, 2019