Winfrey's Golden Globes speech sparks talk of 2020 campaign
Des Moines: Oprah Winfrey's impassioned call for "a brighter morning even in our darkest nights" at the Golden Globes has Democratic Party activists buzzing about the media superstar and the 2020 presidential race even if it's only a fantasy.
Even so, for Democrats in early voting states, and perhaps for a public that largely disapproves of President Donald Trump's job performance, the notion of a popular media figure as a presidential candidate is not as strange as it once seemed, given the New York real estate mogul and reality TV star now in the White House.
"Look, it's ridiculous and I get that," said Brad Anderson, Barack Obama's 2012 Iowa campaign director. While he supports the idea of Winfrey running, it would also punctuate how Trump's candidacy has altered political norms. "At the same time, politics is ridiculous right now."
Winfrey's speech as she accepted the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award on Sunday touched on her humble upbringing and childhood wonder in civil rights heroes.
But it was her exhortation of the legions of women who have called out sexual harassers and her dream of a day "when nobody has to say 'me too' again" that got some political operatives, in early voting states such as Iowa and New Hampshire, thinking Winfrey might be just what the Democrats need.
"I think we need more role models like her that are speaking to young women and trying to restore some hope. The election of Donald Trump was a devastating setback for little girls," said Liz Purdy, who led Democrat Hillary Clinton's 2008 New Hampshire presidential primary campaign.
Trump's job approval rating sat at just 32 percent in December, according to an Associated Press-NORC poll. And though polls show his approval up slightly since, Trump is the least popular first-year president on record. He has also been accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct, though he has vehemently denied the allegations.
Winfrey, in September and October, publicly dismissed the notion of seeking the nation's highest office, though she noted that Trump's victory made her rethink the requirements of the office.
A representative for Winfrey did not reply to a request Monday for comment from The Associated Press. Winfrey's long-time partner, Stedman Graham, told the Los Angeles Times that "it's up to the people" whether she will be president, adding, "She would absolutely do it."
Winfrey, 64, has become a cultural phenomenon over the past 30-plus years, born into a poor home in Mississippi but breaking through as a television news and talk show personality in the 1980s. Over 30 years, she became the face of television talk shows, starred and produced feature films, and began her own network.
Trump himself has lavished praise on Winfrey over the years, including in 2015, when he said that he would consider her as a running mate on his Republican ticket. "I like Oprah," Trump told ABC News in June 2015. "I think Oprah would be great. I'd love to have Oprah. I think we'd win easily, actually.
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CM Siddaramaiah visits Minister Sudhakar in hospital
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday visited Minister D Sudhakar in hospital and said doctors would take a decision on further treatment after the latter regains consciousness.
The Planning and Statistics Minister Sudhakar fell ill following a severe lung infection. He is still in the intensive care unit.
Speaking to reporters after visiting the Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) in Electronic City, Siddaramaiah said, "Sudhakar has not yet regained consciousness. The doctors will take a decision tomorrow."
Responding to a query on whether a lung transplantation would be carried out, the CM said, "If a transplant has to be done now, he must regain consciousness. He is not conscious now. The doctors will take a decision."
Asked about the minister's condition, Siddaramaiah said he is stable now, but on ventilator support.
"All other organs are functioning well and he is stable. The brain has not yet regained consciousness," he said.
On further medical evaluation, Siddaramaiah said, "The doctors will do a CT scan tomorrow. After that, they will know. They will take a decision."
The doctors briefed the CM on the treatment being administered. Siddaramaiah also interacted with the minister's family members.
VIDEO | Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Saturday visited Minister D Sudhakar in hospital and said doctors would take a decision on further treatment after the latter regains consciousness.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 25, 2026
The Planning and Statistics Minister Sudhakar fell ill following a severe lung… pic.twitter.com/qyfuUkAca1
