Suella Braverman has said she would vote for Donald Trump if she was a US citizen, claiming “the world will be safer” if the Republican presidential hopeful wins the November election.

The former home secretary’s endorsement of the ex-president came as she is widely believed to be preparing a bid to lead the Conservative Party from the right.

“I want Trump to be president,” she said while guest-hosting a programme on LBC Radio on Tuesday.

“Don’t look at the characters and the personalities – if we look at the policy, I think the world will be safer under Donald Trump.

“If we look at his record as president, you know, no wars were started while Donald Trump was president.”

She continued: “I think there’s been a real track record of peace and stability globally that we saw from Trump when he was president and that we can expect going forward. And right now the world is a very volatile place.

“I do think that we need a strong president in the White House. I personally would give my vote to Donald Trump were I an American citizen.”

Ms Braverman also attacked Vice President Kamala Harris, who is on course to become the Democratic nominee for president after Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race.

When it was put to her that Mr Trump is a convicted felon, the ex-Cabinet minister argued that Ms Harris is “signed up to the whole identity politics agenda”.

“She introduces herself with her preferred pronouns. She supports radical left movements on net zero and, you know, BLM (Black Lives Matter).

“I find that agenda very divisive.”

Ms Braverman will potentially face a crowded field in the contest to replace Rishi Sunak as the Conservatives seek to rebuild after their mauling in the general election.

Ahead of nominations opening on Wednesday, she warned the Tories must not become “a collection of fanatical, irrelevant, centrist cranks”.

Earlier this month, she used an appearance at the National Conservatism Conference in Washington DC to blame “liberal Conservatives” for the party’s general election defeat.