Oprah floated a 2020 presidential run with Mitt Romney, e book says

Politics

Romney “heard the pitch, and advised her he was flattered, however that he’d must go,” writes the writer and Massachusetts native, McKay Coppins of The Atlantic.

By Michael Levenson, New York Occasions Service

October 17, 2023 | 9:23 AM

Involved that the Democratic area wasn’t as much as the duty of stopping President Donald Trump in 2020, Oprah Winfrey pitched Mitt Romney on the concept of operating for president as an impartial, along with her as his operating mate, in accordance with a forthcoming biography of the Republican senator from Utah.

Winfrey floated the bizarre joint ticket in a telephone name she positioned to Romney’s spouse, Ann, in November 2019, in accordance with an excerpt from the e book, “Romney: A Reckoning,” that was shared with The New York Occasions.

Romney at the very least listened to the concept. (It was Oprah calling, in any case.) He “heard the pitch, and advised her he was flattered, however that he’d must go,” writes the writer and Massachusetts native, McKay Coppins of The Atlantic.

Liz Johnson, an aide to Romney, declined to remark Monday. A spokesperson for Winfrey mentioned in an announcement that she had urged Romney to run, however not along with her.

“In November 2019, Ms. Winfrey referred to as Senator Romney to encourage him to run on an impartial ticket,” the assertion mentioned. “She was not calling to be a part of the ticket and was by no means contemplating operating herself.”

The e book was based mostly on hours of interviews with Romney, in addition to emails, texts and journals that the senator had been saving to doubtlessly write a memoir. Realizing he couldn’t be goal about himself, Romney has mentioned he selected to have a journalist write about him as a substitute.

Winfrey’s curiosity in forming an impartial ticket with Romney, which was reported Monday by Axios, is amongst a number of dishy gadgets from the e book, which is to be launched Oct. 24.

She has recognized the Romneys since 2012, when she interviewed them at their lakeside residence in New Hampshire as Romney was operating for president. Winfrey had additionally seen Ann Romney at varied social occasions, and was “particularly fond” of her, in accordance with the e book.

On the telephone with Ann Romney, Winfrey defined that Michael Bloomberg, the previous New York Metropolis mayor, was making ready to enter the race and had approached her about becoming a member of his ticket. Earlier than she determined, she wished to gauge Romney’s curiosity.

She doubted that Joe Biden or Pete Buttigieg may beat Trump and was “sure” that Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., couldn’t, in accordance with the e book.

Ann Romney responded that her husband wouldn’t run for president in 2020, both as a Republican or as an impartial, Coppins writes. Romney additionally politely batted down the concept, in accordance with the e book.

An aide to Bloomberg declined to remark.

Winfrey has, at occasions, been talked about as a possible presidential candidate. In 2018, after she delivered a rousing speech on the Golden Globes, some have been clamoring for her to run. However she advised “60 Minutes Additional time” that she wouldn’t turn out to be a candidate in 2020 regardless that “I had plenty of rich males calling, telling me that they might run my marketing campaign and lift $1 billion for me.”

“I’m truly humbled by the truth that individuals assume that I may very well be a frontrunner of the free world, however it’s simply not in my spirit,” she mentioned. “It’s not in my DNA.”

Romney, 76, lately introduced that he wouldn’t search reelection in 2024, saying he wished to make manner for a “new technology of leaders.” He strongly recommended that Trump and now-President Joe Biden must also bow out, arguing that neither was successfully main his celebration to confront the “vital challenges” the nation faces.

This text initially appeared in The New York Occasions.