Sanders brands Trump ‘most dangerous president in history’ after chaotic first debate with Biden

Tuesday clash was the first of three scheduled debates

Bernie Sanders on Tuesday night branded Donald Trump the "most dangerous president in history" as he condemned the commander-in-chief over his record in the White House.

The Vermont senator, 79, attacked the president's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, race relations and the decision to press ahead with replacing Ruth Bader Ginsburg before November's election.

Appearing on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live following the first of three scheduled presidential debates in Ohio, Cleveland, Mr Sanders accused the president, 74, of not following scientific advice during the pandemic and lying to the American people.

"I happen to think, and I think people saw this tonight, that in Donald Trump, we have the most dangerous president in the history of this country," said Mr Sanders.

"[We have] somebody who not only lies all of the time...but really doesn't believe in science; you saw that tonight. Despite what he said about how wonderful and great the US is doing - in terms of the coronavirus pandemic — the truth is we have the highest death rate in terms [of deaths] per capita of almost any country on Earth."

US coronavirus deaths recently topped 200,000 — the highest fatality rate in the world. Throughout the pandemic, Mr Trump has repeatedly claimed that the US has excelled in its handling of the virus.

Last month he repeated — falsely — that the US was doing better than most European countries, many of which saw an uptick in confirmed infections over the summer months.

Mr Sanders also labelled the president a "racist" for his failure to distance himself from white supremacists during Tuesday night's debate against Democrat challenger Joe Biden, 77.

"It doesn't give me any pleasure to say this," Mr Sanders said. "But you have a president who is in fact a racist. And he has been using race for a very, very long time in trying to divide the American".

He added: “He is not only a racist, he is a xenophobe, God knows the kind of ugly attacks he has made on the Latino community. He is a religious bigot. And this is who we have as the president of the US right now.”

Mr Trump has repeatedly faced accusations of racism throughout his political career, and was recently condemned for suggesting that Minnesoata congresswoman, Illhan Omar, was not a true American citizen because of her Somalian heritage.

During the Kimmel interview, Mr Sanders, who lost out in the 2016 and 2020 Democrat party nomination for president to Hilary Clinton and Mr Biden respectively, called out GOP lawmakers planning to confirm RBG's replacement in the Supreme Court.

Referring specifically to Lindsey Graham's decision to back the president, after having previously said he would never advocate for a justice being installed during an election year, Sanders said: "The hypocrisy is extraordinary.

"And it is so sad because this is why the American people are loosing faith in the political process". Mr Trump on Saturday announced Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative pro-life lawyer, as his pick to replace RBG.

Trump and Biden face off in debate (Getty Images)

Tuesday night's debate, moderated by Fox News journalist Chris Wallace, has been described as one of the most chaotic in the US election history, with both candidates shouting over one another.

Down in the opinion polls with five weeks to go until the election, Mr Trump Trump sought to use the first presidential debate to bully his way back into the race.

He repeatedly interrupted his rival as he tried to knock the Democratic former vice president off his feet and alter the dynamic of a contest he has been losing for months.

It was unlikely the president succeeded, largely because of his own combative and chaotic behavior but also because the insult-filled and often fact-free affair may have left the few undecided voters watching at home more dispirited than engaged.

Mr Biden at times was able to squeeze in the key themes of his candidacy, that Mr Trump was unfit for a second term over his handling of the pandemic. In a dig the president's flagging support with the critical suburban voting bloc, Mr Biden said: "He wouldn't know a suburb unless he took a wrong turn."

But Mr Trump often spoke over his rival and the morderator, making it difficult for them to say much at all. When Mr Biden did get a chance, he made a point of addressing the camera, trying to speak directly to voters, while the president stared at him balefully.

Additional reporting by Reuters