US gets taste of the two sides of Trump as he goes off script in Arizona but toes line in Reno

In the space of less than 24 hours and in the course of two speeches, Donald Trump this week went from divider-in-chief to healer of the nation.

A day after the president attacked the media and critics within his own Republican Party, the US president called for a “new unity” as he addressed military veterans.

“We are here to hold you up as an example of strength, courage and resolve that our country will need to overcome the many challenges that we face,” he said in Reno, Nevada, on Wednesday. He called on all Americans to emulate the patriotism and work ethic of veterans.

A day earlier he opened his rally in Phoenix in the same spirit, but quickly veered off script into a freewheeling attack on his favourite enemies. He accused reporters of twisting his response to recent violence in Charlottesville, criticised two local senators without naming them and threatened to shut down the government if congress did not fund his border wall.

It was the sort of performance that won free air-time on the nation’s TV networks during the campaign. But the latest figures suggest his power is waning.

About 28 million people tuned in to watch his Afghanistan address, about a third less than to hear his predecessor Barack Obama speak on the same subject in 2009, according to ratings company Nielson.

The president will see vindication for his barnstorming approach. But at the same time, analysts say they see in Mr Trump’s wildly different performance the struggle inside the White House to rein in his instincts and keep him sounding presidential.

So by Wednesday he was back to the teleprompter. In a 22-minute address to the American Legion, he said: “It is time to heal the wounds that have divided us, and to seek a new unity based on the common values that unite us.”

It is a sign of a more moderate Mr Trump many hoped would emerge once the vigour of the campaign trail was in the past.

He told his audience that in the US, “we are not defined by the colour of our skin, the figure on our pay cheque, or the party of our politics”.

“We are defined by our shared humanity – by our citizenship in this magnificent nation, and by the love that fills our hearts.”

Mr Trump responded to the comparison yesterday, providing his own analysis.

“The Fake News is now complaining about my different types of back-to-back speeches. Well, there was Afghanistan (sombre), the big Rally ... (enthusiastic, dynamic and fun) and the American Legion VA (respectful and strong),” he wrote. “Too bad the Dems have no one who can change tones!”

The Fake News is now complaining about my different types of back-to-back speeches DONALD TRUMP US president