Donald Trump will have to repair divided nation, Carwyn Jones says

Donald Trump is congratulated on his victory by his vice-president-elect Mike Pence

Donald Trump will have much work to do to repair a divided nation after his election as US president, First Minister Carwyn Jones has said.

Welsh politicians have given their reaction to Mr Trump's shock victory over Hillary Clinton.

Welsh Tory leader Andrew RT Davies said the result was a "bloody nose for the political establishment".

Plaid and Labour AMs and MPs expressed concern, but UKIP AM Neil Hamilton said it was "an uprising" like Brexit.

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Mr Trump, the Republican candidate, will become the 45th US president after Democrat nominee Mrs Clinton conceded defeat in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The real estate tycoon, former reality TV star and political newcomer had been universally ridiculed when he declared his bid for the White House in June last year.

He defied pre-election polling to claim swing states, winning the key battlegrounds of Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Prime Minister Theresa May congratulated Mr Trump, saying she looked forward to working with him.

However, Mr Jones did not offer congratulations in his reaction to the news.

"Following the most brutal and bruising election campaign in modern American history, Donald Trump will have much work to do to repair a divided nation," he said in a statement.

"The language of fear must now give way to conciliation.

"The United States is one of Wales' most important trading partners and by far our largest market for inward investment. We will maintain a strong presence in America, including opening our latest office in Atlanta," the first minister added.

The UK government's Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said the relationship between the UK and the US "goes much deeper than any one individual, be it a leader in this country or a leader in the United States".

He said: "It's about the people, it's about our cultures. We are so closely aligned and of course we will do everything to make the Trump presidency a success."

Andrew RT Davies tweeted the result was "yet another punch for political polling - seems another remarkable failure on that front".

He said it was: "Another bloody nose for the political establishment."

Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood called for "calm heads" and the need for "winding down the rhetoric".

"If Trump wants to do business with the rest of the world, he must row back on the appalling comments we saw throughout the campaign," she said.

Neil Hamilton, UKIP's leader in the assembly, said: "It's an uprising of people against the Washington establishment in the same way as Brexit was an uprising against the European establishment."

He said he was surprised Mr Trump won, but believed it was "good news for Britain".

"Far from [outgoing president] Barack Obama saying we'll be at the back of the queue in a trade deal, Donald Trump has made it perfectly clear he's very pro-Britain which is good news," Mr Hamilton said.

Flintshire-based David Soutter, a former head of candidates for UKIP who worked on the UK Trump campaign, said the Republican candidate's victory was "very easy to predict".

"For 25 years the political establishment has grown apart from those whom it is supposed to represent," he said.

"It is clear in Europe and the UK, and it was very clear in the US."

Sending his congratulations, Monmouth Conservative MP David Davies told his Twitter followers: "Surprise of media and anger of commentators shows their failure to listen to, or understand a silent majority."

Former Conservative Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb said: "America is a great nation. Still is.

"Strong and tested institutions will cope, and our deep and wide friendship with US more important than ever."

However, many Labour politicians reacted with concern, with Neath AM Jeremy Miles saying on Twitter that it was a "dark morning".