Oprah Winfrey’s best friend, Gayle King, is putting to rest the reports that Oprah Winfrey is planning a presidential run.
The host of “CBS This Morning” said Tuesday, Jan. 9 Winfrey is “intrigued by the idea” of running for office in 2020, but King doesn’t think it’ll happen after having a conversation with O late Monday night.
“I absolutely don’t think that her position has changed, I don’t,” she said, after clarifying Winfrey’s long-time beau, Stedman Graham answered a question of if she would make a good president, not if she would run. “She loves this country and would like to be of service in some way. But I don’t think she’s actively considering it at this time.”
King also noted, “You always have the right to change her mind.”
This isn’t the first time Winfrey’s presidential run has been shut down. The former talk show host herself shot down the idea in March.
But hope was renewed on Sunday, Jan. 7, after Golden Globes host Seth Myers jokingly dismissed O’s chances in hopes she would run for office in four years. It was reported that Myers’ similar jokes in 2011 pushed President Donald Trump to take his chances in the Oval Office.
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Yet Winfrey’s impassioned speech after earning the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award had such an impact on viewers that many called for her to launch a campaign.
After speaking on the influence of actor Sidney Poitier on her, O also voiced ample support for the “Time’s Up” initiative. The newly launched effort supports victims of sexual harassment and assault.
“For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dare speak the truth to the power of those men,” she said. “But their time is up. Their time is up! Their time is up! … “And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say ‘me too’ again.”
One person who found that line particularly striking was Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter.
Just saw @Oprah's empowering & inspiring speech at last night’s #GoldenGlobes. Let’s all come together, women & men, & say #TIMESUP! #United https://t.co/vpxUBJnCl7
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) January 9, 2018
Her tweet didn’t go over well with social media users, including Chrissy Teigen.
ew go away
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) January 9, 2018
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
