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Donald Trump has used Thanksgiving Day to thank himself for making “a tremendous difference in this country”.

Asked what he is most thankful this year, the US leader replied: "This country is so much stronger now than it was when I took office and you wouldn't believe it.”

The president spent the national holiday addressing branches of the US military, visiting a Coast Guard station before heading to his Trump International Golf Course.

As well as giving himself a pat on the back, the US leader aired grievances about the courts, trade and migrants heading to the country’s Mexico border.

His remarks, made from his opulent private Mar-a-Lago club, struck an unusually political tone as he spoke with all five branches of the military to wish them happy holidays.

"It's a disgrace," Mr Trump said of judges who have blocked his attempts to overhaul US immigration law, as he linked his efforts to secure the border with military missions overseas.

The president later threatened to close the US border with Mexico for an undisclosed period of time if his administration determines Mexico has lost "control" on its side.

"You probably see over the news what's happening on our southern border," Mr Trump told one Air Force brigadier general stationed at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, adding: "I don't have to even ask you. I know what you want to do, you want to make sure that you know who we're letting in."

He also continued to rail against the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which he said has become "a big thorn in our side."

"It's a terrible thing," he said, when judges "tell you how to protect your border. It's a disgrace."

Later, Mr Trump asked a US Coast Guard commander about trade, which he noted was "a very big subject" for him personally.

"We've been taken advantage of for many, many years by bad trade deals," he told the commander, who replied: "We don't see any issues in terms of trade right now."

And throughout, Mr Trump was sure to congratulate himself, telling the officers that the county is doing exceptionally well on his watch.

"I hope that you'll take solace in knowing that all of the American families you hold so close to your heart are all doing well," he said. "The nation's doing well economically, better than anybody in the world."

He later told reporters "nobody's done more for the military than me."

"I made a tremendous difference in this country," he said. "This country is so much stronger now than it was when I took office and you wouldn't believe it and when you see it, we've gotten so much stronger people don't even believe it."