Trump says he doesn’t think Oprah will run for president
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he did not think billionaire TV star Oprah Winfrey would run for president in 2020 against him, but he said she would be “lots of fun” if she did.
“I did one of her shows,” Trump told reporters assembled during a meeting on immigration.
The president added that he liked her, “but I don’t think she’s going to run.”
Since Winfrey’s speech at the Golden Globes on Sunday, where she gave an impassioned defense of abused women, told personal stories of her childhood and said a new day was on the horizon for women, speculation has increased about a bid.
Her longtime partner, Stedman Graham, and her close friend, Gayle King, have not done much to tamp down the chatter.
“I do think she’s intrigued by the idea,” King said Tuesday morning.
Trump, a businessman and reality TV star whose ascent to the presidency was fueled by name recognition, sheer wattage and personality, has long praised Winfrey, who shares many of the same qualities.
In 1999, he said Winfrey would be his running mate if he ran for the presidency, even though he did not run.
He also appeared on her show in 1988, saying he was unlikely to run for president.
“I never want to rule it out totally, because I really am tired of seeing what’s happening with this country, how we’re really making other people live like kings, and we’re not,” he said then.
Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump praised Winfrey for supporting the #MeToo movement Monday night but soon came under scathing criticism.
Critics said she defended her father after he was accused of sexual assault and was recorded bragging about being able to grope women because he was famous.