The first major poll pitting Oprah Winfrey as a hypothetical presidential candidate against Donald Trump shows Winfrey with a strong lead, according to Rasmussen.
“Democrats desperate for someone with firepower to challenge Trump in 2020 have now seized on TV personality Oprah Winfrey,” Rasmussen wrote.
“The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 48% of Likely U.S. Voters would opt for Winfrey, while 38% would choose Trump. But a sizable 14% are undecided.” You can read the polling results here. The poll was conducted on January 8 and 9, 2018.
Oprah polled strongest with people under 40 and women. “Women share a more favorable opinion of Winfrey than men do. Fifty-two percent (52%) of women prefer the TV host in a matchup with Trump, compared to 43% of men,” Rasmussen revealed. “Those under 40 are far more likely to choose Winfrey over Trump as the nation’s next president than their elders are. Winfrey leads among whites, blacks and other minority voters but has her widest victory margin among the black community.”
Rasmussen Poll [1/8/18 and 1/9]
| Oprah Winfrey | 48% |
| Donald Trump | 38% |
| Undecided | 14% |
The Rasmussen poll shows a partisan divide over Oprah is already emerging, although it indicates she currently has more cross-over potential than Trump. “Winfrey has the support of 76% of Democrats, 22% of Republicans and 44% of voters not affiliated with either major political party. The president earns 66% of the vote from Republicans, 12% of Democrats and 38% of unaffiliateds,” the poll says.
Oprah retains very high favorable ratings. “Fifty-five percent (55%) of all voters view Winfrey favorably, including 27% with a Very Favorable view of the longtime media personality and entrepreneur. That’s little changed from 2011 after Winfrey announced she was ending her TV talk show after 25 years on the air. Thirty-four percent (34%) share an unfavorable view of her, with 18% who have a Very Unfavorable one,” Rasmussen announced.
The conservative Drudge Report initially broke the news that a new Rasmussen poll shows Oprah with a commanding lead against Trump. “RASMUSSEN POLL SHOCK: OPRAH 48% TRUMP 38%… DEVELOPING…” the conservative media personality posted on his highly read website.
GettyOprah Winfrey.
Oprah Winfrey got people talking about a possible presidential run with a rousing presentation at the Golden Globes that many perceived as the precursor to a campaign speech. Her long-time partner, Stedman Graham, raised Democratic hopes all the more, when he was quoted as saying that Winfrey would “absolutely” run for president if the people wanted her to do so.
Oprah’s best friend, Gayle King, then walked back Graham’s statement, although she acknowledged that the idea of Oprah running for president intrigues the media magnate. President Donald Trump then commented that, while he likes Oprah, he doesn’t think she will run but it would be fun if she did. Oprah has not said she will run for president.
Of course, any polling numbers could change if Oprah actually did run and was forced to start presenting policy positions. Once Oprah articulates her stances on contentious issues like gun control, immigration, and taxes, some people might change their minds about her being in the White House (or embrace it more, depending on their political beliefs).
The rest of the results of Rasmussen’s daily tracking poll were also released. “The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday shows that 44% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump’s job performance. Fifty-five percent (55%) disapprove,” Rasmussen wrote. Of its methods, Rasmussen wrote, “Daily tracking results are collected via telephone surveys of 500 likely voters per night and reported on a three-day rolling average basis. To reach those who have abandoned traditional landline telephones, Rasmussen Reports uses an online survey tool to interview randomly selected participants from a demographically diverse panel. ”