Senior Republicans sought to reassure the world that Donald Trump will oversee a smooth transition of power in Washington and bring in heavyweight figures to his administration after the political outsider’s stunning victory roiled markets and shocked US allies.

Trump advisers said that Mike Pence, the experienced Indiana governor and Mr Trump’s running mate, was going to play an outsized role both in identifying senior players for his administration and in building bridges with Congress, also pointing to Rudy Giuliani, the former New York mayor, as a key figure in the coming days. 

One longstanding Trump ally predicted that Mr Pence would be “a very powerful vice-president” who would pull the levers in the White House on personnel and appointments, and work with the Washington establishment.