Celebs, politicos alike jump on Winfrey wagon
Even the White House welcomed the prospect of Oprah Winfrey running for president in 2020 after a highly celebrated Golden Globes speech lit up Twitter with #Oprah2020 trending and celebrities, politicians and even a conservative pundit open to the idea.
“We welcome the challenge, whether it be Oprah Winfrey or anybody else,” White House spokesman John Gidley told reporters on Air Force One yesterday.
But President Trump, who said at least twice over the years he would have wanted Winfrey as a vice presidential running mate, held off on tweeting about her last night.
CNN, citing two of her close friends, said Oprah is “actively thinking” about running for president. Her longtime partner, Stedman Graham, told the Los Angeles Times: “It’s up to the people. She would absolutely do it.”
Bay State U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, rumored to be a Democratic presidential candidate herself in 2020, smiled yesterday when presented with the Oprah 2020 scenario, but didn’t offer her any advice on whether she should run.
“You know, I’m glad to see her in this debate right now,” said Warren, calling Winfrey “an amazing woman” who “makes her points powerfully.”
Conservative analyst Bill Kristol appeared to jump on board the Winfrey wagon.
“Oprah: Sounder on economics than Bernie Sanders, understands Middle America better than Elizabeth Warren, less touchy-feely than
Joe Biden, more pleasant than Andrew Cuomo, more charismatic than John Hickenlooper. #ImWithHer” he tweeted.
Kristol added that a potential Oprah ticket could also include a Bay State U.S. rep: “Almost too obvious to be worth mentioning: The 2020 Democratic ticket will be Oprah Winfrey-Seth Moulton,” tweeted Kristol.
Celebrities, too, rushed to back a Winfrey run.
“Oprah for president? She’s got my vote,” tweeted Lady Gaga.
“Given the choice between Oprah and our current president, I’m on the bus with Oprah, traveling the country and urging people to vote,” said latenight host Jimmy Kimmel, who will host the Academy Awards in March.
One gleeful network already seemed to project her the winner on Twitter Sunday night.
“Nothing but respect for OUR future president” tweeted the account for NBC. A red-faced Peacock Network yesterday backed away from the celebratory champagne cork-popping, blaming a “third party agency” for the tweet, which it said was in response to a joke earlier in the broadcast and “not meant to be a political statement,” according to Fox News. NBC subsequently removed the post.