Trump says he could beat Oprah Winfrey in 2020

President Winfrey? No way, says political prognosticator Donald Trump.

"I'll beat Oprah," the U.S. president declared flatly at a White House meeting Tuesday though he quickly added, "I don't think she's going to run."

Asked about all the presidential speculation suddenly swirling around Winfrey, the typically pugilistic Trump steered clear of nasty nicknames and colourful insults while sizing up such a potential celebrity showdown.

"Oprah would be a lot of fun," said Trump, who added that he knows her "very well."

Trump doesn't think Oprah will run for U.S. presidency

7 years ago

Duration 0:24

But says he would defeat her if she did

Trump appeared on Winfrey's long-running talk show in 1988 and again with his family in 2011, during her final season.

As Democrats encouraged Winfrey to consider a bid, her best friend, CBS News host Gayle King, said Tuesday that Winfrey is "intrigued" by the idea.

"She loves this country and would like to be of service in some way, but I don't think she's actively considering it at this time," King said, noting that she had spoken to Winfrey at length the night before. "I also know that after years of watching the Oprah show, you always have the right to change your mind."

The speech

The presidential buzz follows Winfrey's impassioned call for "a brighter morning even in our darkest nights" at the Golden Globes on Sunday night in a speech that left some viewers contemplating the idea of the Democratic Party embracing a celebrity candidate of its own to challenge Trump in 2020.

Trump, of course, was a businessman-turned-reality-television-star before his extraordinary political rise.

In receiving a lifetime achievement award from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association at the Golden Globes, Winfrey spoke of her humble upbringing and her childhood respect for civil rights heroes. But it was her support of women calling out sexual harassment thatfuelledtalk among Democrats in states where presidential runs usually beginIowa and New Hampshire.

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.

The 64-year-old media mogul has become a cultural phenomenon. She was born into a poor home in Mississippi but broke through as a television news and talk show personality in the 1980s. Over 30-plus years, she became the face of television talk shows, starred and produced feature films, and began her own network.

Ivankachimes in

The president's daughter,IvankaTrump, endorsedWinfrey's Golden Globes message, if not a political future, in a recent tweet.

She wrote: "Just saw Oprah's empowering and inspiring speech at last night's #GoldenGlobes. Let's all come together, women & men, & say #TIMESUP! #UNITED."

Actress Alyssa Milano and others quickly chimed in, pointing out that Ivanka Trump's tweet doesn't mention that her father faces accusations of sexual misconduct by several women.

Milano responded to Ivanka's tweet: "Great! You can make a lofty donation to the Time's Up Legal Defence Fund that is available to support your father's accusers."