Once again, America needs to deal with Trump

The former president has defied the odds one last time. America will simply need to get on with it.

- Michael Bloomberg

Donald Trump wasn't my choice for president. In fact, I urged Americans to vote for Ms Kamala Harris. But he won fair and square. So let's get on with it.

Republicans had an exceptionally good night on Nov 5, taking the Senate and likely holding their narrow majority in the House, but their paper-thin majority should not be mistaken for a mandate. The challenges facing the country can be tackled effectively only with bipartisan compromise.

One irony of the outcome is that, on almost every issue that voters identified as a priority, Trump's proposals would likely make matters worse. The goal for Congress over the next four years should be persuading the president to avoid these bad ideas and offering him better alternatives. Trump himself should recognise that what plays in a campaign is often far different than what works in government.