Nancy Pelosi, former speaker of the US House of Representatives, has dismissed Boris Johnson and Liz Truss’s claims that the world was a “safer place” under Donald Trump’s presidency.

Speaking on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the Democrat said she was not aware the former UK prime ministers had made the comments but suggested the Republican’s time in office had instead improved the safety of those who “dislike people of colour and LGBTQ and women”.

In February, former prime minister Boris Johnson told The Sun newspaper: “When you look back at Trump’s last term in office there is little doubt that the world felt safer and calmer and more stable.”

Liz Truss echoed this statement in an interview with BBC’s Newscast in April in which she said she hoped Mr Trump will win the presidential election in November.

Ms Truss told the BBC: “I do agree that under Donald Trump, when he was president of the United States, the world was safer.

“I think our opponents feared the Trump presidency more than they fear the Democrats being in office.”

When asked for her thoughts on these comments on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Ms Pelosi said: “I don’t know what they’re talking about and it may be in their interest to talk about that.

“I didn’t know they said that and I’m sorry they did, because safer for what?

“Safer for billionaires not to have to pay taxes, for people who dislike people of colour and LGBTQ and women?

“Safer for what? Safer for white men, safer for white people. What was it safer for?”

Earlier in the interview, Ms Pelosi defended US President Joe Biden against critics who focus on his age and “frailty”.

Asked by Ms Kuenssberg for her thoughts on those that are concerned about the president’s “visible frailty”, “gaffes” and age, the former speaker said: “I see it differently – I see a president who has a vision for America that is a great one, is strong.

“I see a president who knows because he’s been there, has experienced, gained the wisdom from his age and being there, and that he knows what will work and he knows how to do it because he’s been a legislator a long time.”

In the same interview, Ms Pelosi said polls showing Donald Trump leading against President Biden on inflation, job creation and immigration “may be wrong”.

The former speaker said: “The polls were wrong in the last election – they said we’re going to lose 30 or 40 seats in the congressional races.

“We lost five in New York and we’ll win them back.

“Joe Biden will win – his numbers are improving if polls mean that much.”