I want to be a president for all Americans - Trump

THE Donald Trump who emerged at 2:30am to celebrate his stunning win in the presidential election was barely recognisable.

Mr Trump’s victory speech was understated, mature and conciliatory. There was no gloating in his moment of triumph. Not a single gratuitous insult. It all bore little resemblance to the bitter diatribes that had typified Mr Trump’s campaign.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Complicated business. Complicated business,” Mr Trump joked after arriving at the podium.

“I just received a call from Secretary Clinton. She congratulated us — it’s about us — on our victory, and I congratulated her and her family on a very, very hard fought campaign. I mean, she fought very hard.

“Hillary has worked very long and very hard over a long period of time and we owe her a major debt of gratitude for her service to our country.”

That praise for Ms Clinton was so far removed from Mr Trump’s criticisms of her during the last 18 months that it was scarcely believable. This is a guy who repeatedly said “Crooked Hillary” should be in jail, and who stoked chants of “lock her up” at his rallies.

The surprising new message of unity continued throughout the speech.

“We have to get together. To all Republicans and Democrats and independents across this nation, I say that it is time for us to come together as one united people,” Mr Trump said.

“I pledge to every citizen of our land that I will be president for all Americans.

“For those who have chosen not to support me in the past, of which there were a few people, I’m reaching out to you for your guidance and your help, so we can work together and unify our great country.”

His speech raises so many questions. Is Mr Trump finally pivoting to a more presidential tone, realising the job will constrain him? Or will he quickly revert to his cantankerous campaign persona when the nice words aren’t on a teleprompter in front of him?

Plenty of people are hoping it’s the former, but expecting the latter.l

“The test will come when someone writes or says or tweets something critical of him, and he feels a need to respond ... It’s at that point that Trump is going to have to prove that he can rise above it all. Does he have it in him? I’m not sure.”