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"I don’t have the DNA for it" - Oprah rules out running for US president

Oprah Winfrey has ruled out running for the US presidency. The prospect of a presidential bid by ...
Newstalk
Newstalk

15.11 25 Jan 2018


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"I don’t have the DNA...

"I don’t have the DNA for it" - Oprah rules out running for US president

Newstalk
Newstalk

15.11 25 Jan 2018


Share this article


Oprah Winfrey has ruled out running for the US presidency.

The prospect of a presidential bid by the hugely popular actress and talkshow host became the subject of increasing speculation following her rousing speech on the 'Me Too' movement at the Golden Globe awards earlier this month.

However, in an interview with InStyle - which took place three weeks before her warmly-received speech, but has only now been published - Oprah indicated that the presidency is 'not something that interests me'.

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On the subject of a possible 'Oprah 2020' campaign, she observed: "I actually saw a mug the other day? I thought it was a cute mug. All you need is a mug and some campaign literature and a T-shirt.

"I’ve always felt very secure and confident with myself in knowing what I could do and what I could not. And so it’s not something that interests me. I don’t have the DNA for it."

She added: "I met with someone the other day who said that they would help me with a campaign. That’s not for me."

Oprah remains one of the most influential voices in American media, and her endorsement of Barack Obama was considered a major intervention in the 2008 presidential race.

However, amid the speculation about a potential run for office, many commentators highlighted Oprah's own lack of political experience.

Winfrey - who has returned to acting in recent years following the end of the long-running Oprah Winfrey Show in 2011 - is due back on the big screen in the sci-fi blockbuster A Wrinkle in Time, which is due for release on March 23rd.

While few Democratic candidates have formally declared interest in a 2020 bid, politicians such as Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Kirsten Gillibrand and Elizabeth Warren are among those seen as potential candidates to oppose a likely bid by Donald Trump for a second term.


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