Senator Bernie Sanders, on his first ever visit to Ireland speaking for the Dalkey Book Festival at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on Sunday June 4. Picture Conor McCabe Photography.

Senator Bernie Sanders, on his first ever visit to Ireland speaking for the Dalkey Book Festival at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre on Sunday June 4. T Picture Conor McCabe Photography.

Bernie Sanders has used a public appearance in Dublin to lambaste the record of President Donald Trump telling the audience the US president "lies all the time."

The US senator said Trump's Budget proposals are "the ugliest and most destructive attack" ever by an American president on the working class, middle class, and poor people of America.

He was loudly applauded during his address to a sold-out event at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre.

His speech and his one-to-one interview on stage by economist David McWilliams was the opening event of the Dalkey Book Festival which begins in earnest on June 15.

Before Sanders was welcomed on stage by McWilliams, the economist said "the magic of Bernie" resulted in tickets selling out in under five minutes, which was quicker than the selling out of the Katie Perry gig at the theatre.

The 75-year-old Independent senator for Vermont put up a tough battle against Hillary Clinton to be the Democrats' candidate in the presidential election last November. He conceded to Clinton and backed her in the failed bid to beat Trump in the race.

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He was welcomed earlier to Aras an Uachtarain by President Michael D Higgins.

The audience repeatedly applauded the US politician as he sharply attacked the actions of Donald Trump since becoming president.

He said Trump's actions in withdrawing the US from the Paris Climate Accord was "incredibly stupid and short-sighted and will end up harming the American economy and the world economy."

Trump's claims that climate change is a hoax is "dead wrong" and his claims are not believed by the majority of Americans.

"How in God's name do you make public policy in defiance of science?.

Sanders warned that climate change will do huge damage to the planet and cause new migrations of people which will lead to further international conflict.

Trump was "lying through his teeth" when campaigning when he said he was on the side of the working class.

He said that 28 million Americans do not have health insurance and Trump's measures would result in a further 23 million losing their health cover. Trump plans to cut $800billion from Medicaid, which helps the poor, over the next decade while, at the same time, providing a $300billion tax break to the wealthiest two percent of Americans.

Trump's Budget proposals were even worse as he wants to cut $2.5 trillion from programmes that help the poor over the next decade while giving the same amount in tax breaks to the top 1pc.

Under Trump's proposals, the single richest family in America would get a $50bn tax break over a decade.

"If I have anything to do with it, that budget is going nowhere," he said, to loud applause.

Online Editors