President Donald Trump has been in office for just over a month, but already the speculation about who might challenge him for reelection in 2020 has begun.
But besides the typical lists of senators, representatives and other public servants who might pursue the Democratic nomination in a few years, there has been a notable increase in the number of potential candidates from the private sector, including quite a few celebrities. Trump’s success as a politician has given these people a newfound legitimacy.
Here is a full list of people with no experience in public service who could potentially run for president in 2020, either as a Democrat or an independent.
Media personality Oprah Winfrey
The billionaire owner of her own television network, Winfrey said in an interview with Bloomberg Television that Trump’s success has made her rethink whether she would be able to run the country.
“I thought, 'I don't have the experience, I don't know enough,’” Winfrey said. "Now I'm thinking, “Oh, oh.’”
Winfrey supported Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 campaign and has previously told Entertainment Tonight that she would never run for office.
Disney CEO Bob Iger
The Hollywood Reporter made waves Wednesday by reporting that Iger, who runs one of the world’s most successful media companies, is actively considering a presidential run in 2020 as a Democrat. Per the Reporter, his contract with Disney is set to expire in 2018, clearing the way for a potential campaign.
In 2016, Iger contributed to Clinton’s campaign, per CNBC, but after Trump’s election, he did agree to join the new president’s economic forum, and he has remained on that forum while other CEOs have backed away under intense social media pressure, per Variety.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg
The billionaire tech giant will be just 36 years old by 2020, which would make him the youngest president ever by a long shot. However, he recently made changes to Facebook’s stock structure that would allow him to hold government office without losing control of his vast company. Also, observers have pointed to his recent change in attitude towards religion, his 2017 promise to visit all 50 states and his recent statements on Trump’s actions regarding immigration as proof that he is laying the groundwork for a run.
However, Zuckerberg told BuzzFeed News that he will not run, and given the vast reach of Facebook, with its 2 billion users, the role of president might even be something of a step down for him, at least in some ways. If he did run, it is unclear if he would do so as an independent or a Democrat. He currently identifies with neither political party.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban
Cuban, who at one point supported Trump, has now become one of his fiercest critics, attacking him on Twitter and stumping for Clinton during the 2016 campaign. And in February, he told Business Insider, “we will see,” when it comes to a potential presidential run.
Trump, for his part, has tweeted about such a possibility, saying Cuban isn’t “smart enough to run for president.”
I know Mark Cuban well. He backed me big-time but I wasn't interested in taking all of his calls.He's not smart enough to run for president!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 12, 2017
Cuban fired back in a sassy way at the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, wearing the number 46 on his jersey, a reference to the fact that the president who succeeds Trump with be the 46th president.
Rapper Kanye West
No other potential 2020 candidate on this list has as turbulent and confusing a relationship with Trump than the eccentric West. The fashion mogul, rap star and unpredictable announced all the way back in August 2015 that he was running for president in 2020. At the time, most people thought it was just Kanye being Kanye, but he continued to insist in subsequent interviews that he was serious about his statement.
Then came the 2016 election, which seemed to confirm in some of Trump’s critics’ minds that Kanye as a candidate was not quite as ridiculous notion as they had once thought. But before West’s nascent support could grow, he announced in a mid-concert rant that, “if I would’ve voted, I would’ve voted for Trump.” Not long after that, West was hospitalized amid rumors of exhaustion. When he was eventually released, he dyed his hair blonde and met with Trump in New York City in December, enraging fans.
After that conversation, in which the two discussed gun violence and education in West’s home city of Chicago, West seemed to indicate that he would not be running in 2020, instead tweeting out favorable messages about Trump, including an autographed copy of Time Magazine and the hashtag #2024, seemingly implying he would instead run to succeed Trump.
But in early February, West deleted all of his tweets about Trump without explanation. According to gossip site TMZ, West did so because he was angry with Trump for his actions in office. West’s wife, Kim Kardashian, has also criticized the president.
Actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
The highest paid actor in the world told Vanity Fair shortly after Trump’s election that he “wouldn’t rule it out” when asked about the possibility of running for office. On Twitter, he responded to a fan suggesting he take a shot at the presidency by saying “maybe one day.”
Maybe one day. Thanks man. https://t.co/k1S1SZxC3v
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) October 8, 2016
Johnson has criticized the CEO of his sponsor, Under Armour, for saying Trump could be an “asset” to the U.S. However, according to Reuters, he is a registered Republican, making a 2020 run slightly more complicated. In the long run, however, the likelihood that he might seek office is actually pretty high.
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