White House: Trump would ‘welcome’ chance to run against Oprah

President Trump would welcome the chance to run against Oprah Winfrey in 2020 if she chooses to become a presidential candidate, the White House said Monday.

“We welcome the challenge, whether it be Oprah Winfrey or anybody else,” White House spokesman Hogan Gidley told reporters traveling aboard Air Force One with the president to Tennessee. 

Gidley said Trump is “absolutely … going to run for president again” and said his record would stack up against any opponent. 

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“Regardless of who decides to run against this president, they are going to have to face a president who has record-setting achievements in a record-setting time,” he said. 

He said he did not know whether Trump had seen Winfrey’s address Sunday at the Golden Globes awards, which touched on sexual harassment and racial justice. Her remarks sparked talk on social media and in Hollywood that she could take on Trump in 2020 if he runs again. 

CNN reported Monday that the former television host is “actively considering” a run, citing unnamed sources. Winfrey’s longtime partner Steadman Graham told the Los Angeles Times “she would absolutely do it,” but added that “it’s up to the people.”

Winfrey is a longtime supporter of Democrats. She supported Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in 2008 and endorsed Hillary Clinton in her 2016 run against Trump.