Donald Trump hits out at ‘very insecure’ Oprah Winfrey after she interviews his supporters
(Getty)
Donald Trump has lashed out at Oprah Winfrey, calling her ‘insecure’ and ‘biased’ after an interview with a group of voters, some of whom voted for Trump.
During a segment on CBS show 60 Minutes, Oprah gathered 14 voters from Michigan to see whether their perspective on the President and his supporters had changed during his first year in office.
The group of voters had originally met with Oprah shortly after Trump’s election, where seven of the voters had supported him in the 2016 presidential race.
Each of the original Trump voters had remained supportive of the President after his first year and would vote for him again, though some did criticise some of his attitudes.
Whilst many of the questions involved Trump and his actions over the first year of his Presidency, other questions focused on the relationship between the voters who were often at opposite ends of ideological spectrums.
(Photo: CBS)
One of Oprah’s questions included asking the group about their thoughts on Trump’s stability for office after increasing speculation about the 71-year-old’s mental state.
She asked: “There have been some members of Congress, including Republicans, questioning his stability and fitness for office. What do you think of that, and do you believe he has the temperament to be president?”
Another question highlighted his alleged use of the term ‘sh*thole countries’ when describing Haiti, El Salvador and several African countries.
Oprah challenged one of the Trump supporters on his view that all Presidents will have said unsavoury things that were not reported, saying: “You think all presidents have used the term sh*thole?”
(Photo: CBS News)
During the questions from Oprah and the other voters, some of the voters offered their strong support of the President.
In a tweet following the episode, Trump criticised the talk show host for her ‘biased and slanted’ questions to the group.
Trump stated that Oprah had been ‘very insecure’ on the show and that the interview itself was factually incorrect.
(Photo: @realdonaldtrump / Twitter)
Trump then addressed the potential of Oprah running against him for President in 2020, welcoming the competition from the fellow television star.
He said: “Hope Oprah runs so she can be exposed and defeated just like all of the others!”
Though it was not clear which ‘others’ Trump was referring to, there has been significant speculation about whether Oprah would run for President in 2020.
Related: What President Oprah Winfrey would mean for LGBT rights
The talk show star and businesswoman was widely mooted as a potential frontrunner for the next election following her passionate speech on sexual harassment at the Golden Globes.
(Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Two of Oprah’s close friends spoke to CNN early in January to state that she was ‘actively thinking’ about running for President as a Democrat in 2020.
This potential run gathered a mixed amount of support. Oprah was endorsed by singer Lady Gaga on Twitter, who tweeted: “Oprah for President? She’s got my vote.”
However, early polls showed that Oprah was a less popular Democratic candidate for President than former Vice President Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders.
(Photo by Evan Agostini/Getty Images)
Fans hoping Oprah will be the United States’ first female president might be disappointed, however, as the star appears to have ruled out the prospect in a newly published interview.
Speaking to US InStyle magazine, Oprah said she “does not have the DNA” to be president.
“I’ve always felt very secure and confident with myself in knowing what I could do and what I could not.
“And so it’s not something that interests me.”
When previously asked about the prospect of Oprah running by reporters, President Trump said that he would definitely beat her in a Presidential race.
He said: “Yeah I’ll beat Oprah,” adding that campaigning against her would be “a lot of fun”.
“I like Oprah but I don’t think she’s going to run. I don’t think she’s going to run. I knew her very well,” he added.
Watch the full interview from 60 Minutes below
