Oprah Winfrey insists she will not run for US President

Oprah Winfrey has made it clear that speculation she could run for president in 2020 has no basis and she does not plan to throw her hat into the ring.

The talk show host, who endorsed Hillary Clinton’s campaign, previously joked that Donald Trump’s success made her feel “really qualified” to be president but she did not plan to run for office.

Since then Michael Moore has suggested the Democrats should run a hugely popular celebrity like Winfrey or Tom Hanks for president. In turn, the Oprah2020 hashtag has gained increasing traction on Twitter.

Appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Winfrey was asked whether she thought Michelle Obama would run for office - a rumour the First Lady has denied.

“Never," Winfrey responded.

“Is there any charismatic African-American woman that both sides of the political aisle really love?” Colbert asked, prompting a round of applause from the audience.

“Never!” Winfrey exclaimed repeatedly. “No, it’s not my thing.”

Winfrey reflected on the extensive interview she did with Ms Obama at the end of last month, saying it had been “bittersweet” .

“The thing I said to her that I'm really going to miss is just the presence there," she said.

“For me, you know, African-American woman, being able to see that reflection of myself through the girls and through her, just their presence there, I’m going to miss that. But it has meant so much to me.”

Winfrey was a supporter of Ms Clinton and insisted she had no plans of joining the billionaire property developer as his running mate back in June, saying “Donald, I’m with her!” and arguing her candidacy was a pivotal moment for women.

Winfrey is a significant influencer in the US and one estimate predicted that her endorsement of Mr Obama between 2006 and 2008 delivered over a million votes in the 2008 Democratic primary race.