Longtime pal Gayle King said Tuesday that Oprah Winfrey is “intrigued” by the idea of running for president, although she said it’s still unclear whether the media mogul is seriously considering a run.
"I don't think at this point she is actually considering it," King said on "CBS This Morning."
“She loves this country and would like to be of service in some way, but I don’t think she’s actively considering it.”
Two of Winfrey's friends, who were not identified, told CNN on Monday that she was "actively thinking" about running for president. Her long-time partner Stedman Graham told the Los Angeles Times on Sunday that Winfrey "would absolutely do it."
"It's up to the people," he added.
King said Tuesday that she thought Graham misunderstood the Times reporter’s question.
“He thought the reporter said to him, ‘Would she make a good president?’ And he said, ‘Absolutely she would,’” King said. “That's how he interpreted the question, because this is the thing. Stedman would never so cavalierly say absolutely she would do it. It's up to the people. He would never do that.”
Winfrey fueled speculation that she could look to mount a campaign in a rousing, nearly 10-minute speech at the Golden Globes on Sunday. Still, she denied having any presidential ambitions while speaking with a Bloomberg News reporter backstage at the awards show.
She was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award for her contributions to the entertainment industry and used her time onstage to address the “#MeToo” movement. The movement has encouraged more women to speak out about their experiences of sexual harassment and assault.
"I want all the girls watching here, now, to know that a new day is on the horizon," Winfrey said. "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.”
King, who was at the Golden Globes when Winfrey gave her speech, described being in the room as “electrifying.”
“It was the right person giving the right speech at the right time,” she said. “She wanted that moment to be more than women wearing black dresses of solidarity. She really did want to speak to young girls around the country. She really did want to say, ‘Enough already,’ and I think she delivered on all that in a very eloquent way. Will she run for president? I think it's a very, very intriguing idea myself."
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