Donald Trump calls for national unity in Thanksgiving message

Donald Trump has admitted it will take time for “tensions to heal” following the election as he attempted to make a unifying Thanksgiving message on social media. The President-elect has travelled to his Palm Beach estate in Florida for the holiday, and acknowledged that America has “just finished a long and bruising political campaign”. In his Thanksgiving message, he said: “Emotions are raw and tensions don’t just heal overnight”.

It’s my prayer that on this Thanksgiving we begin to heal our divisions and move forward as one country strengthened by shared purpose and very, very common resolve.

Donald Trump

Earlier he gave two jobs to Republican women who had criticised him during his campaign. He is also said to be considering offering Mitt Romney - one of his most fierce critics - the most senior post of secretary of state. The billionaire on Wednesday picked South Carolina governor Nikki Haley as US ambassador to the UN and charter school advocate Betsy DeVos to lead the department of education. Both were critical of his campaign, with Ms Haley urging voters to “reject the siren call of the angriest voices”.