Bush criticises Vermont senator’s spending plans and attacks GOP rival for failing to correct a man for saying Barack Obama was ‘not even an American’

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

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An energised Jeb Bush has said Bernie Sanders is the “front runner” in the Democratic presidential race as he used a Republican rally to rail against the Vermont senator’s proposals.

Bush told the Mackinac Republican leadership conference Sanders is the leading Democrat in a nod to recent polls showing the senator has taken the lead from Hillary Clinton in the crucial early voting state of Iowa.

It was not all niceties, however. Bush proceeded to lambast the self-declared socialist Democrat.

Sanders has “proposed $18 trillion of new spending” over the next decade “and it’s only September, in the year before the election,” he said, drawing laughter from the room.

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The former Florida governor then summoned the spirit of Dr Evil, the fictional villain in the Austin Powers films, saying “if Dr Evil heard Bernie Sanders was talking about $18 trillion, he’d have a heart attack”.

Sanders campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Bush also took a shot at Donald Trump, after the billionaire failed to correct a questioner at a campaign event, who stated that president Barack Obama is a Muslim and “not even American”.

“Barack Obama is a talented man,” Bush said. “And by the way, he’s an American, he’s a Christian – his problem isn’t the fact that he was born here, or what his faith is.

“His problem is that he’s a progressive liberal who tears down anybody that disagrees with him.”

The Republican conference is held every two years on Mackinac Island, which is four hours north of Detroit and accessible only by ferry or charter plane.

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Michigan governor Rick Snyder, a Republican, delivered the opening remarks on Friday afternoon. The governor declined to offer an endorsement in the race.

Officials say more than 2,000 attendees have registered to attend this year. The results of a straw poll for the Republican presidential nominee will be released on Saturday night.

Five additional presidential candidates are expected to speak on Saturday: US senator Rand Paul, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker, former Hewlett-Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina, Ohio governor John Kasich and Senator Ted Cruz.