Romney says Oprah Winfrey suggested a unity presidential ticket in 2020

by Filip Timotija - 10/16/23 11:25 AM ET

Oprah Winfrey reportedly suggested running for president alongside Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on a unity ticket in 2020 to thwart former President Trump’s reelection hopes.

Romney disclosed to The Atlantic staff writer McKay Coppins that the media mogul pitched the unity ticket with the moderate senator “to save the country,” according to book excerpts published by Axios.

Coppins’s book “Romney: A Reckoning” comes out next week.

Romney said he deflected the idea, pointing to his belief that such a push would benefit Trump’s reelection chances.

A source familiar with Winfrey said she was never serious about running, though some confidants supported the effort.

Winfrey has said she is an independent voter, but she has made high-profile endorsements of Democrats, including Sen. John Fetterman (Pa.) in his 2022 race against Republican Mehmet Oz, a doctor who became famous on Winfrey’s daytime television show.

Coppins’s book is based on a series of interviews with Romney, along with insight from the sitting lawmaker’s journals and diaries.

Romney, who ran unsuccessfully for president in 2012, announced his retirement plans last month.