Who Said That? Oprah Winfrey Denies Claims She Asked Mitt Romney To Run With Her On 2020 Presidential Ticket

Oprah Winfrey denied claims that she asked Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney to run with her for president in 2020, The Hollywood Reporter reports.

“In November 2019, Ms. Winfrey called Senator Romney to encourage him to run on an Independent ticket,” the spokesperson said. “She was not calling to be part of the ticket and was never considering running herself.”

In McKay Coppins’ upcoming Romney: A Reckoning, which features interviews with Romney, Coppins writes that Winfrey, a Democrat, called Romney to suggest they should form a unity ticket “to save the country.” According to Axios, Romney ignored the proposal, thinking that campaign would help Trump.

According to Rolling Stone, Romney, who failed to take the Oval Office after running for President in 2012, announced in September 2023 that he is retiring at the end of his term.

“Frankly, it’s time for a new generation of leaders,” said Romney in a press release. “They’re the ones that need to make the decisions that will shape the world they will be living in.”

Winfrey has endorsed Democratic candidates, although she has mentioned being an independent voter. Some high-profile endorsements include ex-President Barack Obama in 2008, and most recently, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who ran against Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz, a regular guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

While she is no stranger to the political world, Winfrey openly denied interest in running for public office during a speech while campaigning for former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams in 2018.

“I don’t want to run,” Winfrey said. “I am not trying to test any waters, don’t want to go in those waters.”

Romney: A Reckoning is expected to hit shelves on Oct. 24 and is filled with hours of interviews and quotes from Romney’s diaries and journals.