Former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenBiden says voters should choose who nominates Supreme Court justice Trump, Biden will not shake hands at first debate due to COVID-19 Joe Biden should enact critical government reforms if he wins MORE knocked former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sarah Elizabeth SandersSarah Sanders on Trump's reported war dead criticism: 'Those comments didn't happen' Sarah Sanders memoir reportedly says Trump joked she should hook up with Kim Jong Un McEnany stamps her brand on White House press operation MORE Sanders over a since-deleted tweet that appeared to mock a moment of stuttering in the waning moments of Thursday's Democratic presidential primary debate in Los Angeles.

While talking about Americans he has met along the campaign trail, Biden recalled a child telling him "I can't talk," and mimicked the child's stutter over the word "I." Biden has publicly spoken about his own struggles overcoming a stutter.

Almost immediately, Sanders tweeted, "I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I hhhave absolutely no idea what Biden is talking about."

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She then followed it up with a tweet saying, "To be clear was not trying to make fun of anyone with a speech impediment. Simply pointing out I can't follow much of anything Biden is talking about."

Both tweets have since been deleted.

"I’ve worked my whole life to overcome a stutter," Biden tweeted in reply. "And it’s my great honor to mentor kids who have experienced the same. It’s called empathy. Look it up."

I’ve worked my whole life to overcome a stutter. And it’s my great honor to mentor kids who have experienced the same. It’s called empathy. Look it up. https://t.co/0kd0UJr9Rs — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 20, 2019

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Sanders apologized soon after, saying "I actually didn’t know that about you and that is commendable."

I actually didn’t know that about you and that is commendable. I apologize and should have made my point respectfully. https://t.co/fbmVAqDoWI — Sarah Huckabee Sanders (@SarahHuckabee) December 20, 2019

However, before she was able to tweet her apology, lawmakers and commentators had responded.

Sen. Brian Schatz Brian Emanuel SchatzDemocrats turn focus to health care for Supreme Court fight Democratic senator to party: 'A little message discipline wouldn't kill us' CDC causes new storm by pulling coronavirus guidance MORE (D-Hawaii) said, "Sometimes I delete tweets that I regret."