United States President Barack Obama on Monday said he believed Donald Trump was pragmatic and that the president-elect would do his best as a first-time officeholder to unite the country. “He’s going to be the next president, and regardless of what experience or assumptions he has brought to the office, this office has a way of waking you up,” Obama said.

His statement appeared to be an attempt to reassure those worried about Trump’s stand on the US’ commitments towards its allies. Obama’s refusal to criticise his successor marks a stark difference from him earlier calling Trump unfit to be president and ”woefully unprepared for the job”. He had campaigned rigorously for Trump’s Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

“I don’t think he is ideological,” Obama said. “And that can serve him well as long as he has got good people around him and he has a clear sense of direction.” The outgoing president refrained from commenting on Trump’s decision to appoint far-right, controversial media figure Steve Bannon his chief adviser and strategist at the White House. “It’s really important to send some signals of unity,” is all he said.

Obama addressed the media before leaving for his three-nation farewell tour, where he is expected to reassure allies of the future of the country’s transatlantic ties. “There is enormous continuity beneath the day-to-day news that makes us that indispensable nation when it comes to maintaining order and promoting prosperity around the world. That will continue,” Obama said. He is heading to Germany, Greece and Peru.

In another development, a Latino teacher in California was suspended for likening the Republican president-elect to Adolf Hitler. History teacher and holocaust scholar Frank Navarro said the principal of Mountain View High School and the district superintendent had placed him on paid leave after a parent emailed the school, where he has taught for 40 years, expressing concern about his lesson plan that made comparisons between Trump and the German Nazi leader, The Telegraph reported.

Trump won the presidency on November 8, bagging more than 270 electoral votes, even though pre-election polls had predicted a win for his rival. His win ends the Democrats’ eight-year run at the White House.