Donald Trump claims he 'always thought he would win US election'

Donald Trump with wife Melania at a New Year's Eve party in Florida
AP
Tom Powell3 January 2017

US President-elect Donald Trump has claimed he always thought he was going to win the bitterly-fought election over Hilary Clinton.

The incoming president tweeted on Monday that "various media outlets and pundits say that I thought I was going to lose the election. Wrong...".

He continued: "I thought and felt I would win big, easily over the fabled 270" electoral votes.

Mr Trump's continued focus on his unexpected November 8 victory comes as he works behind closed doors to shape his new administration. He will be sworn into office in just 18 days.

In another tweet on Monday, the president-elect complained about a cover photo used in a new book released by CNN. He wrote: "Hope it does well but used worst cover photo of me!"

Mr Trump also sparked controversy with his New Year message, which said: "Happy New Year to all, including to my many enemies and those who have fought me and lost so badly they just don't know what to do. Love!"

Meanwhile, Mr Trump has said Rahm Emanuel, Chicago's mayor and President Barack Obama's former chief of staff, should ask for federal assistance if he cannot bring down the city's rising homicide tally.

The nation's third largest city had 762 homicides in 2016 - the most in two decades and more than the largest cities New York and Los Angeles combined.

The Chicago Police Department says the city had 1,100 more shootings last year than in 2015, and the statistics have put Chicago at the centre of a national dialogue about gun violence.

Mr Trump on Monday noted the spike in shooting deaths on Twitter. He wrote: "If Mayor can't do it he must ask for federal help!"

Mr Emanuel's spokesman Adam Collins responded with a carefully worded statement in which he said that if the federal government really wants to help, it can do things like fund summer jobs programmes for at-risk youth and pass meaningful gun laws.

Additional reporting by the Press Association

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