Winfrey not running for president – for now
It was a nine-minute speech at the Golden Globes Awards that has been watched by more than 30 million people since Sunday night, and it has ignited speculation about a 2020 presidential run for American media star and businesswoman Oprah Winfrey.
But her close friend Gayle King turned down the speculation yesterday, revealing the TV star had no plans to enter the 2020 race for president of the United States – although she was “intrigued” by the idea.
“I absolutely don’t think her position has changed, I don’t,” said Ms King, a co-anchor on CBS, referring to Winfrey’s assertion last year that she had no interest in running for public office. “I was up talking to her very late last night. I do think she is intrigued by the idea, I do think that.
“I also know that after years of watching The Oprah Winfrey
Show, you always have the right to change your mind. I don’t think at this point she’s actually considering it.”
But the possibility of an Oprah-Trump face off continued to be the topic of the town, with the president’s daughter, Ivanka, retweeting Winfrey’s Golden Globes Awards speech.
Winfrey electrified the gathering in Los Angeles as she accepted the Cecil B DeMille lifetime achievement award.
Her acceptance speech embraced feminism, the #MeToo movement, a cry against racial injustice and a promise of hope and “a new day”, all delivered with enough vigour and passion to start a buzz about a possible run against Donald Trump in 2020.
Hours later, the speculation grew as her long-time partner Stedman Graham told the Los
Angeles Times that it’s “up to the people. She would absolutely do it”.
Many Trump supporters attacked his potential rival, circulating photos of Winfrey with Harvey Weinstein, the movie producer who is accused by more than a dozen women of sexual harassment and assault: But could Winfrey win? Elections analyst Nate Cohn settled the debate, saying: “I don’t know if she is running, but who could count her out if she did?”
No one in their right mind, not after 2016.