Donald Trump boasts about re-election prospects ahead of inauguration

WASHINGTON: Even before assuming the US President's office, Donald Trump has boasted about his election victory, his re-election prospects, re-prided himself for picking a "great" Cabinet and showered confidence on the capabilities of his son-in-law to broker peace in the volatile Middle East.

"The entire country practically, other than a couple of little points, was red. That was some big victory. Records were set that haven't been beaten since Ronald Reagan from the Republican side," Trump said, using the colour to denote the counties and states the Republican party won in the election.

Addressing guests at the Campaign Donors Dinner in Union Station here late last evening, he said he will be re-elected after four years in the "old-fashioned way" after the nation sees how well his administration performed in the first term.

"The next time, four years from now, we are going to win the old-fashioned way. We are going to win because we did so well, because it was so overwhelming the thing that we did, because of how great our Cabinet has performed," Trump said, amid loud cheers and applause from the gathering, which included his family members, Vice President-elect Mike Pence and House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Trump also thanked his family for their support, giving a special shout-out to his daughter Ivanka, "a very special person who worked very hard and married very well."

He said he "stole" her husband Jared Kushner from her, choosing him to be his senior advisor in the White House.

"I sought of stole her husband. (Kushner) is so great. If you cant produce peace in the Middle East, nobody can. All my life I have been hearing that's the toughest deal in the world to make. I have a feeling Jared is going to do a great job," he said.

Giving another shout-out to his Cabinet nominees, Trump said "we have a Cabinet, I believe, the likes of which has never been appointed. There has never been a cabinet like this. I will say the other side is going absolutely crazy, they are going crazy," he said.

Trump said his Cabinet picks have been doing a "fantastic" job at their Senate confirmation hearings.

Referring to his pick for Defence Secretary General James Mattis, he said Mattis's was the shortest senatorial interview he has ever seen.

"I think they are afraid of him," he said.

"The Cabinet members are doing really fantastic. They have really done a good job. I am very very proud of my picks. There is not a pick that I dont love. If there was, I'll tell you right now," he said.