WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump retreated on Sunday (Nov 13) from some of his hardest-line campaign positions on immigration and health care, but he also used Twitter to lash out at his critics, leaving open the possibility that he would continue the practise in the Oval Office and radically change the way presidents speak to Americans.

In his first prime-time television interview since his upset victory on Tuesday, Mr Trump referred to undocumented immigrants, whom he had demonised as criminals and rapists during his campaign, as “terrific people”, and said his priority would be to deport 2 million to 3 million lawbreakers before deciding how to treat others.

He also told the CBS programme 60 Minutes that the wall he has been promising to build on the nation’s southern border might end up being a fence in places, and he endorsed popular aspects of President Barack Obama’s health insurance law, including a provision that requires coverage of people with pre-existing medical conditions and one that allows young people to remain on their parents’ plans until the age of 26.

But even as he appeared to inch toward the political centre and a more high-minded approach, Mr Trump used a series of postings on Twitter to argue that The New York Times’ coverage of him has been “BAD” and “very poor and highly inaccurate”.

He falsely stated that The Times had issued an apology to readers. He was apparently referring to a letter to readers from The Times’ publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr, and its executive editor Dean Baquet, that noted the unpredictable nature of the election and said The Times aimed to “re-dedicate” itself to “the fundamental mission of Times journalism”.

Mr Trump’s posts on Twitter were a striking public display from a man who, after his victory on Tuesday, had worked to project an air of seriousness and self-discipline, first in a victory speech early Wednesday and then in an Oval Office meeting the next day with President Obama.

But by Thursday evening, Mr Trump was using Twitter to complain about demonstrations against his victory, saying they were being mounted by “professional protesters, incited by the media”, and branding them as “very unfair!” THE NEW YORK TIMES