BBC journalist Nick Robinson told Suella Braverman she was “a headline-grabber who does it by spreading poison” in a savage Today programme monologue.
The presenter went on the attack during an interview this morning with the former home secretary.
Braverman - who was sacked by Rishi Sunak a month ago - warned yesterday that the Tories faced “electoral oblivion” if the prime minister fails to keep his promise to stop the boats carrying asylum seekers across the English Channel.
She has also previously mounted outspoken attacks on migrants, pro-Palestine protesters and rough sleepers.
Robinson told her: “When you’re on the radio and the television, Suella Braverman, you talk about substance, you talk quite reasonably. When I ask you questions about tough language, you sort of laugh at me as if I’m the one talking about a Conservative death wish.
“You’ve condemned the leader of your party as uncertain, weak and lacking in leadership, you’ve said he never had any intention of keeping his promises, you’ve accused him of betrayal and wishful thinking.
“You’ve attacked lawyers, judges, civil servants, the head of the Metropolitan Police, people who are worried about deaths in Gaza, you’ve attacked the homeless, you’ve attacked migrants as being part of an invasion.
“Isn’t the truth you’re a headline-grabber who does it by spreading poison, even within your own party?”
Braverman replied: “The truth is that when I served as home secretary I sought to be honest - honest to the British people, honest for the British people and sometimes honesty is uncomfortable.
“But I’m not going to shy away from telling people how it is and from plain speaking and if that upsets polite society then I’m sorry about that.
“The point is that we need to be honest, we need to be clear-eyed about the situation right now. We can’t keep failing the British people.”