'Face me in 2020' Donald Trump savages 'insecure' Oprah Winfrey in 60 Minutes tweet
DONALD Trump has branded Oprah Winfrey “insecure” and challenged her to face him in the 2020 US Presidential election in a furious response following a segment on CBS’s 60 Minutes show looking back at his first year in office.
Oprah addresses rumours of running for President in 2020
Mr Trump – well known for his Twitter spats over the years – took aim at the popular TV host after the show amid specualtion Ms Winfrey could run for office.
Actress and television host Ms Winfrey, now a contributor to the CBS program, led a panel of 14 Republican, Democrat and Independent voters from Grand Rapids, Michigan in a wide ranging discussion.
But Mr Trump accused Ms Winfrey of being "insecure" and branded the discussion "biased".
Mr Trump tweeted: “Just watched a very insecure Oprah Winfrey, who at one point I knew very well, interview a panel of people on 60 Minutes.
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'Hope Oprah runs so she can be exposed and defeated just like all of the others!'
“The questions were biased and slanted, the facts incorrect. Hope Oprah runs so she can be exposed and defeated just like all of the others!”
The panelists ranged from voters who said “I love him more and more every day,” to others questioning Mr Trump’s stability, saying, “All he does is bully people.”
Ms Winfrey – who has interviewed the US President on several occasions – made no statements for or against Mr Trump in the programme. But she did ask questions ranging from whether the country is better off economically to whether respect for the country is eroding around the world.
Just watched a very insecure Oprah Winfrey, who at one point I knew very well, interview a panel of people on 60 Minutes. The questions were biased and slanted, the facts incorrect. Hope Oprah runs so she can be exposed and defeated just like all of the others!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 19, 2018
Last month Ms Winfrey set tongues wagging about a possible 2020 Presidential campaign when she made a rousing speech at the Golden Globes, during which she said: “I want all the girls watching here and now to know that a new day is on the horizon.”
Brad Anderson, the Iowa state director for former President Barack Obama’s re-election, went so far as to tweet: “Call me Oprah. I’ve got some Iowa county chairs who would love to hear from you”, while Mr Trump himself also weighed in, saying: “Yeah, I’d beat Oprah.”
After the Globes, Ms Winfrey insisted she was not running for president, although she admitted that she had considered it.
Mr Trump’s remarks are in contrast to those of his daughter Ivanka, who tweeted following Ms Winfrey’s speech: “Just saw @Oprah's empowering & inspiring speech at last night’s #GoldenGlobes. Let’s all come together, women & men, & say #TIMESUP.”