Oprah Winfrey Explains Positive Donald Trump, Obama Tweet

Winfrey admits her "mistake" in tweet about Trump, Obama meeting.

ByABC News
November 14, 2016, 11:59 AM

— -- When President-elect Donald Trump met with President Obama at the White House last week, media mogul Oprah Winfrey appeared to try looking on the bright side. That did not go over so well with fans, and she is now admitting her "mistake."

On Thursday, as anti-Trump protests which started right after the Tuesday election continued around the country, Winfrey tweeted, "Everybody take a deep breath! #HopeLives!" next to a picture of the Obama and Trump in what was their first-ever meeting.

Fans and other celebs reacted negatively to Winfrey's post, tweeting their disapproval.

"I'm stumped honestly. Want to assume she means something deep," wrote Shaun King, a New York Daily News columnist and Black Lives Matter activist.

Some others joked about this not being their "favorite thing."

And more got a bit nasty in voicing their displeasure.

On Sunday night, Winfrey took time out on Facebook Live to explain. Winfrey was joined by film director Ava DuVernay to promote the new documentary "13th," and she opened with her classic honesty and humor about the situation.

When asked a question concerning Trump, Winfrey said, "I cannot say it, I'm already in trouble for a tweet."

"Y'all heard about my tweet problems?" she said. "This is the second time I've had tweet troubles."

She then explained that the first instance was years ago when her network, OWN, first started, and she asked on Twitter for Nielsen box holders to turn on OWN, which is against the ratings company's rules.

Of this latest tweet about Trump, Winfrey said, "I couldn’t breathe after the election, I was just like [shows holding breath]"

She said that she viewed Obama's meeting Trump like the "Thrilla in Manila," a famous fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, and that she actually got heart palpitations in anticipation.

"I was expecting tension, awkwardness and strain. So, when I saw them sitting together, and I actually took a picture of the screen that said ‘President-elect Trump honored to meet Obama,'" she said. "And President Obama was being so gracious, and I heard Donald Trump say, ‘He’s a good man.’ I heard Donald Trump say, ‘I’m going to be seeking his counsel.’ I literally went ... I can breathe now."

"My mistake, and what I know to be true, you can never talk about everybody," she said. "Even in your arguments with your husband and your children. Don't talk about what you should do, what you outta do, what everybody else should do, only speak for yourself."

Winfrey said she should have made the tweet about her own reaction such as, "I just took a breath."

She added that her tweet was only about "the transition of power," not "everything."

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