US President Donald Trump, Joe Biden furiously trade barbs while overlapping in Iowa

US President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden spent on June 11 tring insults sometimes in real-time as y stumped across Iowa in split screen moments that could preview a ferocious fight ahe if two men face off for presidency next year.

Biden is atop massive Democratic presidential field only because of his frequent attacks on Trump, president said. He also more explicitly linked Biden to his 2016 foe, Hillary Clinton.

"People don't respect him," Trump said after touring a renewable energy facility in Council Bluffs. "Even people that he's running against, y're saying 'Where is he? What happened'?"

With a dose of exaggeration, he ded: "He makes his stance in Iowa once every two weeks and n he mentions my name 74 times in one speech. I don't kw. That reminds me of crooked Hillary. She did same thing."

At almost same moment in Mount Pleasant, Biden ted that his criticisms of Trump from earlier in day were playing on TV screens when Air Force One landed in Iowa.

"I guess he's really fascinated by me," said Biden, who mentioned Trump by name about a dozen times during his first two events in Iowa. "I find it fascinating."

He started to say more but n stopped himself, quipping, "My mor would say, Joey, focus. Don't descend. Stay up." back-and-forth laid bare rising political stakes for each, even with election about 17 months away.

Trump has zeroed in on Biden as a potential threat to his re-election chances and is testing mes to beat him back. Biden, meanwhile, is campaigning as a front-runner, relishing one-on-one fight with Trump while making sure he doesn't igre demands of Democratic primary.

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"I'd rar run against Biden than anybody," Trump told reporters on White House lawn. "I think he's weakest mentally and I like running against people that are weak mentally."

Biden began day in Ottumwa, heart of Wapello County, a meat-packing and agricultural manufacturing centre Trump was first Republican to carry since Dwight D. Eisenhower. It's part of Biden's dual track approach: campaigning for caucuses while projecting himself as someone who can win in territory Trump snatched from Democrats in 2016, such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

former vice president hit Trump on ecomy  an issue president often promotes as his chief strength in a time of low unemployment.

"I hope his presence here will be a clarifying event because Iowa farmers have been crushed by his tariffs toward China," Biden said. "It's really easy to be tough when someone else absorbs pain, farmers and manufacturers."

Biden ded that Trump "backed off his threat of tariffs to Mexico basically because he realized he was likely to lose" in manufacturing states such as Michigan and Ohio. He broly branded Trump "an existential threat to this country" and said his behaviour is beneath office of presidency.

For Trump, biggest concern in this state dominated by agriculture interests is tre. In Council Bluffs, he toured Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, a facility that produces and sells corn-based fuel ditive ethal.

"I fought very hard for ethal but you proved me right," Trump said, ding that he fought "for American farmer like president has fought before." But he n again mocked Biden.

"He was some place in Iowa today," president said, "and he said my name so many times that people couldn't stand it." Later on June 11, Trump was dressing an Iowa GOP dinner in Des Moines.

He's expected to highlight his efforts to help farmers hurt financially from Chinese tariffs on US agriculture products, measures that were imposed last year after Trump slapped levies on Chinese imports. 

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