In St. Paul, Madeleine Albright makes the case for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump

Madeleine Albright has done many things in her long career as secretary of state, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and current board member for the Council on Foreign Relations.

But when it comes to campaigning for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, she quipped Tuesday at Macalester College in St. Paul, "I am no longer a diplomat."

Albright made the comment to the largely pro-Clinton audience after mentioning Republican Donald Trump's disapproval of the Iran nuclear agreement, saying it made Trump look like "an idiot" who "doesn't understand how the system works."

Such was the atmosphere at the campaign event, billed as a national security roundtable and organized by the Clinton campaign. Democratic U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum and former State Department official Eric Schwartz joined Albright on stage in the crowded lecture hall.

Using a fast-paced delivery, Albright argued that Clinton is the candidate best suited to deal with matters of national security. She based many of her reasons on Clinton's record as a former secretary of state and first lady.

"What she did as secretary of state was restore America's reputation abroad after the previous administration," Albright said. "There has never been a president that has been as prepared as Hillary is."

The next president must find common ground with Russia and China, mitigate threats made by North Korea and help end crises in the Middle East, members of the panel said.

The next president also must attempt to respect the lifestyles of immigrants in the U.S., specifically the Muslim community, she said.

"The reason [Clinton] does not call it 'Islamic terrorism' is because she does not want to blame all Muslims for terrorism," Albright said, a reference to one of Trump's statements during the last presidential debate.

At 79, Albright is one of Clinton's most prominent surrogates, stumping across the country she once served as the first female secretary of state under President Bill Clinton.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar introduced the panel before leaving to fly to Las Vegas for the third and final presidential debate Wednesday. Macalester on Monday night also hosted a discussion by Democratic U.S. Sen. Al Franken, another Clinton supporter.

Near the end of the discussion, Albright offered a recommendation to Fox News' Chris Wallace, who will moderate Wednesday's debate.