Donald Trump went after Mike Bloomberg Thursday morning, taking a hit at his height and claiming the Democratic presidential candidate is a 'loser.'

The president has often attacked the billionaire candidate for his height, and claims he won't be able to perform well at the debates should he qualify to make the stage because he won't be able to stand on a box and appear taller.

'Mini Mike 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 tweeted Thursday.

Bloomberg is 5ft 7in, according to his doctor and Trump is noticeably taller at - officially - 6ft 3in.

The former New York City mayor responded to Trump, '[W]e know many of the same people in NY.

'Behind your back they laugh at you & call you a carnival barking clown,' he claimed in a tweet. '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.'

Later in the day he told WXII in Greensboro, North Carolina: 'Donald always calls me Little Mike. I say, Donald, we always measure people from the neck up. Or as somebody else said, yeah Donald, because you're standing in the gutter.'

Donald Trump attacked presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg on Thursday, taking another hit at his height by included a photoshopped image of the two at dramatically different heights and Bloomberg in an oversized suit

He claimed in another tweet that Bloomberg s 5'4' and told him not to use a box to stand on if he qualifies for a Democratic debate

The two billionaires used to be friends. Bloomberg stands at 5ft 8in and Trump at 6ft 3in

But Bloomberg hit back at Trump, bringing up their mutual circles in New York City, claiming they call him a 'carnival barking clown' behind his back

Here Trump pictured with son-in-law Jared Kusher (right) and Bloomberg between the two

THE TALL AND THE SHORT OF IT... When Trump declared Democratic presidential contender Michael Bloomberg to be a '5'4" mass of dead energy,' those were fighting words. Bloomberg is not that short. So say his doctor, people who have stood next to him and varying press accounts of his height from his years as New York City mayor. Trump's attack on Bloomberg´s stature played into years of speculation about just how tall both men are. In a letter released by Bloomberg´s campaign in December, Bloomberg´s doctor said the candidate is 5-foot-7-inches (and 165 pounds). In 2006, a jokey Bloomberg told New York magazine: 'What chance does a 5-foot-7 billionaire Jew who´s divorced really have of becoming president?' Yet during that time, he listed himself as 5-foot-10 on his driver's license, which he isn't. During Bloomberg´s mayoralty, 2002-13, the New York newspapers variously reported his height at 5-foot-6, 5-foot-7 and just shy of a 5-foot-8 aide, according to The New York Times in 2006. Trump´s own height has been a moving target. He's been listed in 2018 at 6-foot-3-inches by the then White House physician, Dr. Ronny Jackson, a measurement which meant he was not officially obese given his weight of 239lbs. In 2019 he was officially obese - 6'3" and 243lbs. But in 2016, Politico reported that his driver's license had him as 6-foot-2, the same height as his selective service records from 1964. Advertisement

The president has promoted the claim before that Bloomberg has requested he be able to stand on a box on the debate stage.

Trump has also slammed the Democratic National Committee for changing the qualifying rules for the Nevada debate next week so a candidate can reached the stage without donors.

Bloomberg vowed not to accept campaign contributions, and is instead funding his presidential run through his own bank account. He has spent more than $200 million on advertising so far – millions more than any other candidate.

Trump's tweet was spurred after a CNBC report showed Bloomberg is playing Instagram influencers to post memes about him and his presidential bid.

All the posts are political ads and have disclaimers as such.

'While a meme strategy may be new to presidential politics, we're betting it will be an effective component to reach people where they are and compete with President Trump's powerful digital operation,' Bloomberg's senior national spokesperson Sabrina Singh told CNBC.

Trump famously ran a very big Facebook ad effort in 2016, and a top official at the tech giant said he ran the best digital ad campaign he had ever seen for any advertiser.

The president's tweet included a photoshopped image showing him cutting a red ribbon while towering over Bloomberg, who was on the other side of the ribbon standing at a child's height wearing a suit that was swimming on him and a tie that was way too long.

In his tweet, Trump also admitted that because of Bloombeg's big bank account, he might be able to beat progressive Senator Bernie Sanders.

'He hates Crazy Bernie and will, with enough money, possibly stop him,' Trump said. 'Bernie's people will go nuts!'

The attacks on the Vermont lawmaker come after he performed well in the first two primary contest states of Iowa and New Hampshire, where he came in second and first place respectively.

Sanders has the second highest amount of delegates coming of the first-in-the nation caucus and primary, with 21.

Former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg is the frontrunner as it stands now with 22 delegates.

He earned one more than Sanders in Iowa when he amassed just .1 percentage point more in the caucuses last week.

Bloomberg entered the Democratic primary race in November and has spent more than $200 on ads to increase exposure and compete as a latecomer to the campaign

Trump compared Bloomberg to 2016 Republican primary candidate Jeb Bush, but claimed he was a 'tiny' version of him. He also gave rare praise to his former primary competitor, claiming Bush has more 'political skill' and is more popular among the black community than Bloomberg.

'Mini Mike Bloomberg is 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 posted in another tweet Thursday morning.

Bloomberg also responded in a tweet with a gif aimed at Trump showing Russell Crowe from Gladiator saying: 'The time for honoring yourself will soon be at an end.'

The president's reference to the black community comes after he has waged attacks on Bloomberg for his history of backing stop-and-frisk policies and operations in minority communities.

Audio emerged Tuesday of the former New York City mayor adamantly defending the policy in 2015.

He can be heard in the tape saying 'we put all the cops in minority neighborhoods. Yes, that's true.'

'Why do we do it?' he continued in the tape. 'Because that's where all the crime is.'

The audio reveals Bloomberg defending the police tactics, and he not only hailed the plan but also acknowledged that the strategy was implemented to tackle gun violence.

'Ninety-five percent of murders- murderers and murder victims fit one M.O. You can just take a description, Xerox it, and pass it out to all the cops,' Bloomberg told the audience in the 2015 speech.

He went on to give what he said was a typical description of a criminal.

'They are male, minorities, 16-25. That's true in New York, that's true in virtually every city,' he said. 'And that's where the real crime is. You've got to get the guns out of the hands of people that are getting killed.'

The speech was tweeted by a Bernie Sanders supporter.

Trump responded to the recording, calling Bloomberg a 'TOTAL RACIST.'

But the charge from the president was criticized as hypocritical considering he supports stop-and-frisk – and without explanation, he deleted the post.

He did, however, follow up with a fresh attack on Bloomberg's golf game and height.

'Mini Mike is a short ball (very) hitter. Tiny club head speed. KEEP AMERICA GREAT!' the president tweeted.