Oprah Winfrey says she was surprised by speculation she was toying with the idea of entering the 2020 presidential fray after delivering a fiery speech at the 75th Golden Globes in January.
“Are you kiddin’ me? I was just tryin’ to give a good speech,” Winfrey told CBS about reports she “must have known” she was “dipping” her toe “in the water of politics.”
“I was looking for a way to express what was going on in this moment in terms of gender, and class, and race,” the media maven continued.
“Are you kiddin’ me? I was just tryin’ to give a good speech.” Oprah Winfrey says her Golden Globes speech had nothing to do with the 2020 presidential race. Her latest story for 60 Minutes airs Sunday. https://t.co/UjhtskOpL2 pic.twitter.com/ATbX0qA7Dr
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) February 15, 2018
Winfrey, who among other things is currently a special contributor to CBS’ “60 Minutes” program, said she would probably remove herself from any journalistic-type position if she were contemplating a presidential bid.
“I think if I was considering a run, it definitely would [impact the way viewers perceived her],” she said. “And if I was considering a run, I would probably take myself out of the role of journalist, or conversationalist, or anything. I would take myself out of that.”
“But I don’t think [I will] because it wasn’t my doing,” Winfrey added, referring to the presidential buzz.
She has previously denied harboring any presidential ambitions, saying she does not have the DNA for politics.
Winfrey gave an emotional address in January when she accepted the 2018 Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for her contributions to the world of entertainment, in which she backed the #MeToo movement and supported the press.
