After Oprah Fuels 2020 Speculations with Golden Globes Speech, Meryl Streep Releases a Statement
Media mogul Oprah Winfrey grabbed the spotlight Sunday night with her acceptance speech at the 75th Golden Globe Awards, leading many people — including one award-winning actress — to speculate on whether she might run for president in 2020.
As The Western Journal reported, Winfrey used much of her speech to address the flurry of sexual misconduct scandals that have recently rocked the entertainment industry.
She was also one of many performers to made subtle jabs at President Donald Trump and give a nod to progressive talking points.
Winfrey spoke of “a culture broken by beautifully powerful men.” But she concluded with a bit of optimism, noting that “a new day … is on the horizon.”
According to The Washington Post, Winfrey’s words sparked a controversy, with some saying she should challenge Trump in 2020, while others said she did not have the experience necessary to run for the highest elected office in the land.
Actress Meryl Streep, who was in attendance at the awards show, was one those who immediately latched on to the idea of Winfrey running.
“She launched a rocket tonight. I want her to run for president,” Streep told The Post following the conclusion of the event. “I don’t think she had any intention (of declaring). But now she doesn’t have a choice.”
Streep’s support for a Winfrey candidacy is not particularly surprising, in large part because the liberal actress is no fan of the current president or his administration.
During last year’s Golden Globes, Streep took a shot at Trump, though she did not call him out by name.
“When the powerful use their position to bully others,” she said at the time, “we all lose.”
Speaking to The Post on Sunday, Streep again hesitated to refer to Trump by name. Her sentiments, however, were clear.
“It was a barnburner,” Streep said of Winfrey’s speech. “She runs a major company. She could lead the country. Instead of leading the country down.”
Streep was far from the only one calling on Winfrey to run for president, with many Twitter users quickly taking to the platform to push for a Winfrey campaign.
After her speech, NBC tweeted in support of a potential Winfrey presidential run.
“Nothing but respect for OUR future president. #GoldenGlobes,” the network wrote in a since-deleted tweet.
On Monday, NBC revealed that the tweet, which has since been deleted, was done in response to a joke made by Golden Globes host Seth Meyers during the show.
“In 2011, I told some jokes about our current president at the White House Correspondents Dinner. Jokes about how he was unqualified to be president,” Meyers said.
“Some have said that night convinced him to run,” he continued. “So if that’s true, I just want to say: Oprah, you will never be president! You do not have what it takes!”
The speculation of the former talk show host’s potential run for the presidency prompted a response from her longtime partner Stedman Graham.
“It’s up to the people,” Graham told the Los Angeles Times.
Graham, who has been partners with Winfrey for over 30 years, added that Winfrey “would absolutely do it.”
But it’s unclear whether Winfrey even wants to run for president.
“There will be no running for office of any kind for me,” she told “CBS This Morning” in October, according to BizPac Review.
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