Gloves off: Warren jabs at the Donald

WASHINGTON -

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) labeled Donald Trump a loser, a bully and a threat on Monday, continuing a fierce war of words between the liberal icon and the front-running Republican presidential candidate that has played out on social media and the New York Times.

"@RealDonaldTrump knows he's a loser. His insecurities are on parade: petty bullying, attacks on women, cheap racism, flagrant narcissism," Warren wrote on her campaign's Twitter account on Monday, part of a rapid-fire burst of eight tweets attacking the billionaire businessman and reality TV star.

"But just because @RealDonaldTrump is a loser everywhere else doesn't mean he'll lose this election," Warren warned her supporters.

A week ago, Warren took to Facebook to try stirring up Trump opponents to speak out.

"Donald Trump is a bigger, uglier threat every day that goes by - and it's time for decent people everywhere - Republican, Democrat, Independent - to say No More Donald," she wrote.

Trump poked back in an interview with New York Times writer Maureen Dowd in a column that appeared in Sunday's newspaper.

Trump said of Warren's criticism: "I think it's wonderful because the Indians can now partake in the future of the country. She's got about as much Indian blood as I have."

During her 2012 election campaign, Warren was criticized after being listed in law school directories as having Native American ancestry.

At a news conference in Washington Monday, Trump was mostly dismissive when asked about Warren's comments.

"The problem with the country right now, it's so divided," he said. "And people like Elizabeth Warren really have to get their act together."

Warren has yet to issue an endorsement in the Democratic presidential contest between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders..

Clinton touched off her party's fresh anti-Trump campaign during a morning foreign policy speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Conference, questioning Trump's readiness to guide the nation through delicate international entanglements.

"We need steady hands," Clinton told thousands at the pro-Israel gathering. "Not a president who says he's neutral on Monday, pro-Israel on Tuesday and who-knows-what on Wednesday because everything's negotiable."

Warren's harsh words came the day before Clinton is likely to extend her overwhelming delegate lead over Sanders in primary contests in Arizona, Utah and Idaho.