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MPWOprah Winfrey

Did Oprah Winfrey Launch a Presidential Campaign During the Golden Globes?

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
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By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 8, 2018, 10:38 AM ET

Oprah Winfrey’s stirring speech on oppression and bullying during Sunday’s Golden Globes broadcast sounded a lot like something you’d hear on the campaign trail.

Receiving the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the gala, she addressed the #MeToo movement in an adroit fashion, ending with the phrase “a new day is on the horizon.” It wasn’t long before the “Oprah for President” social media chatter began.

# I am openly weeping rewatching this speech, over and over like being washed safely ashore. #oprahforpresident#oprah2020

— Michelle (@ohthehurt) January 8, 2018

My husband voted for George HW Bush (once) and George W Bush (twice) and just said, “I’d vote for #Oprah for President.” #goldenglobes

— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) January 8, 2018

https://twitter.com/Montel_Williams/status/950371469669883904

CNN reports Winfrey is “actively thinking” about a run for the Oval Office. And her partner Stedman Graham says she would “absolutely” do it, if the people demand it.

Of course, Winfrey has shot down talk of a presidential bid several times before. In June, she told The Hollywood Reporter “I will never run for public office. That’s a pretty definitive thing.” And soon after giving Sundays’ Golden Globes speech, she told Bloomberg she has no plans to run.

Winfrey’s hardly the only celebrity playing coy when it comes to a presidential bid. Donald Trump’s ascension to the White House has made several celebrities ponder if their fame could boost them to the highest office in the land. Among the others who have publicly toyed with a run are Mark Cuban and Dwayne Johnson.

Should Winfrey decide to run, she’ll certainly have a big war chest. Forbes puts the media mogul’s worth at $2.8 billion, just shy of Donald Trump’s $3.1 billion.

About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

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