'O' for Oval Office

Oprah for president? Twitter fans make the case

Accepting lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes, Winfrey speaks out against sexual assault and declares ‘a new day is on the horizon’

Oprah Winfrey poses with the Cecil B. DeMille Award in the press room during The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills, California, January 7, 2018.  (Kevin Winter/Getty Images/AFP)
Oprah Winfrey poses with the Cecil B. DeMille Award in the press room during The 75th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills, California, January 7, 2018. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images/AFP)

Oprah Winfrey’s speech at the Golden Globes has some fans and fellow celebrities calling for her presidential run.

The actress accepted the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award at Sunday’s ceremony, and it did not take long for Twitter to start lighting up with the hashtag #Oprah2020.

Comedian Sarah Silverman tweeted, “Oprah/Michelle 2020.” Leslie Odom, Jr., who played Aaron Burr in the Broadway musical “Hamilton,” tweeted, “She’s running. A new day is on the way.”

Paying tribute to Recy Taylor, an African-American woman who daringly reported her 1944 gang rape by six white men in Alabama, and died last month, just short of her 98th birthday, Winfrey deplored “a culture broken by brutally powerful men.”

“For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dare speak the truth to the power of those men. But their time is up! Their time is up!” Winfrey said to a standing ovation and even some tears in the audience.

“So I want all the girls watching here now to know that a new day is on the horizon,” Winfrey said.

Winfrey’s longtime partner Stedman Graham told the Los Angeles Times “It’s up to the people” whether she will be president, adding, “She would absolutely do it.”

Winfrey brought the typically rowdy crowd to silence and tears with her speech.

She spoke of seeing Sidney Poitier win an Academy Award when she was a girl, and weaved it into the #MeToo movement.

Winfrey had generally stayed away from overt politics until the 2008 election, when she campaigned vigorously for Barack Obama, with an endorsement credited with helping him secure the Democratic Party’s nomination.

The then governor of Illinois briefly considered Winfrey to replace Obama in the Senate, but she did not voice interest.

With her vast audience and quickly relatable style, Winfrey has long been considered one of America’s most influential celebrities.

Most Popular
read more:
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
Join The Times of Israel Community
Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Confirm Mail
Thank you! Now check your email
You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.