The prospect of Oprah running for president has already triggered a massive flurry of interest.
Speaking at the White House Tuesday, President Trump weighed in on the possibility of running against Oprah in 2020.
“Yeah, I’ll beat Oprah," he said. "Oprah would be a lot of fun. I know her very well. I like Oprah. I don’t think she’s going to run.”
Her best friend, Gayle King, says they have discussed the notion of running at length.
“I was up talking to her very late last night," King said on CBS This Morning Tuesday. "I do think this, though. I think she is intrigued by the idea."
King, who was with Oprah the night of the Golden Globes speech that triggered the speculation, says people are already reaching out in hopes of working on a possible campaign.
“I don't think at this point she is actually considering it," King said. "But listen, there are people who have said they want to be her campaign manager, who want to quit their jobs and campaign for her.
"She loves this country and would like to be of service in some way, but I don't think that she's actively considering it.”
On Tuesday, King also clarified the comments by Oprah’s longtime partner Stedman Graham, saying he misinterpreted a reporter’s question about her White House aspirations.
"Stedman says that he thought the reporter said to him, 'Would she make a good president?' And he said, 'Absolutely she would.' That's how he interpreted the question, because this is the thing — Stedman would never so cavalierly say, 'Absolutely she would do it,' or, It's up to the people.' He would never do that," King said.
Dr. Oz, another good pal of Oprah's, spoke to Inside Edition about the possibility of her running.
"I know the passion she has for people and the desire to empower people to be the best that they can be, so her heart is in the right place," he said. "To have someone, a real leader, be able to articulate that and lead our nation forward — that is what we want our presidents to do."
But others are dismissing the idea of Oprah in the Oval Office.
“In the end, she is not going to do it," Howie Kurtz of Fox News’ Media Buzz said. "Why would she want to expose herself to a year-and-a-half of constant personal attacks?”
Inside Edition posed the question our Instagram followers, and 74 percent said they would vote for Oprah in 2020, while 26 percent said they would vote for Trump.
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