Trump predicts he'll start working with Democrats: 'It is time to start rebuilding our country'

The President wants to score more legislative accomplishments

The President believes the parties can work together on infratructure (Getty)

You know it must be Christmas.

Having notched up his first legislative achievement in the form of a major tax cut, Donald Trump has offered an olive branch to Democrats, predicting they will be soon be working with him for the good of the country.

No Democrats voted for the President’s tax plan, which was widely criticised for benefiting wealthier Americans and corporations. Yet Mr Trump has predicted Republicans and Democrats could be allies in the New Year.

“At some point, and for the good of the country, I predict we will start working with the Democrats in a Bipartisan fashion,” he wrote.

“Infrastructure would be a perfect place to start. After having foolishly spent $7 trillion in the Middle East, it is time to start rebuilding our country.”

To this point, Mr Trump has been inconsistent in his willingness or desire to work with the Democrats, as the Republicans control both houses of congress and the White House.

In September, he held a highly-publicised and controversial White House dinner with Senator Chuck Schumer and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi to try and come up with a solution to the Republicans wish to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme, which had been introduced under Barack Obama to allow young immigrants to remain in the country without being deported.

In the end, Mr Trump allowed the programme but gave congress a six-month window to save the scheme.

The President was to meet again with the two Democratic leaders in November to discuss ways to avoid a government shutdown. In the end, Mr Trump resorted to insults on Twitter, with both sides blaming each other if there was a federal shutdown, something that was ultimately avoided.

If Mr Trump is serious about working with the Democrats, improving the country’s infrastructure would be a good place to start. Surveys show that there is widespread public support for investment in America’s crumbling transport, sewage systems and housing.

Indeed, such is the level of support among members of both parties that many had assumed that a major infrastructure investment bill would have been one of the President’s priorities in his first 100 days in office, rather than wasting political capital trying to scrap Obamacare, which had been one of his predecessor’s landmark successes.

In April, in an interview with the New York Times, it appeared Mr Trump was aware of this.

“Infrastructure is so popular that I might want to use it for another bill,” he said. “Infrastructure is so popular with the Democrats and pretty popular with the Republicans. A lot of Republicans want infrastructure, too.”

He added: “I did great in real estate in New York. I know all the developers. I know all of the folks. I know the good ones and the bad ones. And I’m setting up a commission of very smart people that know how to spend money properly. That know how to build on time, on budget. And ideally, under time and under budget.”