US President Donald Trump has said that he could beat media mogul Oprah Winfrey in a presidential contest.
Mr Trump also said he did not think the actress and talk show host would run for office.
Speaking to reporters during a meeting with politicians at the White House, Mr Trump said he liked Ms Winfrey, whose rousing speech at the Golden Globe awards show on Sunday night sparked speculation that she would run for president as a Democrat in 2020.
One of Ms Winfrey's closest friends said the media mogul and actress was "intrigued" by the possibility of running but was not considering it now.
Speculation about a 2020 White House bid by Ms Winfrey blew up on social media and news outlets after her rousing "new day" speech.
Ms Winfrey’s spoke of female and black empowerment, her roots in poverty and support of those who speak up about sexual abuse and harassment in her speech.
Some media commentators also injected scepticism into the surge of excitement among fans of the former talk show star, saying the Democratic Party and the country might well reject the notion of another celebrity political novice following Mr Trump's 2016 election.
Ms Winfrey, long associated with Democratic politics and fundraising, has not commented publicly on the speculation.
Mr Trump, speaking to reporters during a White House meeting, said in response to a question: "Yeah I'll beat Oprah. Oprah would be a lot of fun.
"I know her very well. ... I like Oprah. I don't think she's going to run."
Trump: 'Yeah I'll beat Oprah. Oprah would be a lot of fun.' | Read more: https://t.co/tTYxUaqsdq pic.twitter.com/it6lRSR77L
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) January 9, 2018
Gayle King, an associate of Ms Winfrey, said earlier today that there was no change in Ms Winfrey's past position - that she is not interested in running for president.
"I do think she's intrigued by the idea, I do think that," Ms King said on the "CBS This Morning" programme.
"I also know that after years of watching 'The Oprah Show' you always have the right to change your mind. I don't think at this point she is actually considering it."
However, CNN, citing two of Ms Winfrey's close friends, reported yesterday that the actress was actively thinking about a White House bid.
Ms Winfrey has raised millions of dollars for various causes, including shelters for battered women but, like Mr Trump when he launched his White House campaign, she has no prior experience in government.
Mr Trump, a businessman and former reality TV star, based part of his appeal on the fact he was truly not a Washington insider.
Former Trump White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who was the public face of some of the Trump administration's early missteps last year, said on the ‘Good Morning Britain’ show that Ms Winfrey lacked "political infrastructure" and would have a hard time adjusting to the White House.
Ms Winfrey first gained national fame with her TV talk show, which often focused on self-improvement.
She used the show's success to build a media empire encompassing movie production, magazines, cable TV, and satellite radio, becoming one of the world's richest women.
