Updated January 26, 2018 12:29:26

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey has apparently ended her brief flirtation with a run for the US presidency in 2020, saying she is not interested in the job.

Winfrey, 63, stole the show at the Golden Globes awards ceremony earlier this month with a rousing speech against sexual harassment and assault.

It sparked a feverish online campaign to lure her into running against Republican President Donald Trump in the next election cycle.

But Winfrey, who has long associated with Democratic Party causes and fundraising, has told InStyle magazine she won't be making a presidential tilt.

"It's not something that interests me," she said.

"I met with someone the other day who said that they would help me with a campaign. That's not for me."

Her friends had backed the idea, with her longtime partner Stedman Graham telling the Los Angeles Times "she would absolutely do it" if there was sufficient public support.

Confidante Gayle King had told CBS that Winfrey was "intrigued" by the idea.

Backers work to 'convince Oprah to reconsider'

Photo: Oprah was an early public supporter of Barack Obama's 2008 White House run. (Reuters: Ramin Rahimian)

The leader of a political action committee supporting Winfrey said it would still to try to persuade her to run and continue seeking to recruit 1 million backers.

After the Golden Globes, Democratic political consultant Cormac Flynn began receiving calls from associates who immediately persuaded him to support a Winfrey run.

He formed the National Committee to Draft Oprah Winfrey for President of the United States 2020.

Democrats must find a seasoned, respected politician who can fire up voters and dislodge Donald Trump, writes Micheline Maynard.

Mr Flynn said the committee would continue, and noted that other politicians have decided to run after initially declining.

"The purpose of our committee is to convince Oprah to reconsider," said Mr Flynn, whose independent expenditure committee, or Super PAC, consists of two unpaid staff and two consulting firms that are donating their time.

"She's an exceptional leader and would be a tremendous president."

Known by millions on first-name basis, Winfrey first rose to fame as the host of a television talk show, using it to build a media empire that spans magazine publishing, movie and television production, cable TV and satellite radio.

Born into poverty, she is now one of the world's wealthiest women and been nominated for two Academy Awards.

Mr Trump relished the idea of a celebrity-versus-celebrity campaign, telling reporters earlier this month he did not think Winfrey would run but believed he would win that matchup.

"I'll beat Oprah," Mr Trump said.

"Oprah would be a lot of fun."

Reuters

Topics: world-politics, government-and-politics, us-elections, human-interest, arts-and-entertainment, united-states

First posted January 26, 2018 10:27:34