NBC deleted a tweet posted during Sunday night’s Golden Globes telecast which appeared to endorse the suggestion made by host Seth Meyers that Oprah Winfrey should be president of the U.S.

“Nothing but respect for OUR future president,” NBC tweeted during the comedian’s monologue on Sunday night.

NBC deleted this tweet after a backlash from critics who said it showed bias. (Image: NBC via Twitter)

In a statement released Monday, the network said the tweet, authored by a “third party agency,” was “in reference to a joke made during the monologue and not meant to be a political statement.”

Yesterday a tweet about the Golden Globes and Oprah Winfrey was sent by a third party agency for NBC Entertainment in real time during the broadcast. It is in reference to a joke made during the monologue and not meant to be a political statement. We have since removed the tweet. — NBC (@nbc) January 8, 2018





The original tweet met with outrage from conservatives — including Donald Trump Jr. and former White House press secretary Sean Spicer — as well as members of the media who said it called into question the network’s objectivity.

In case anyone had any doubts about where the media stands this should take care of it. The bias against @realDonaldTrump is now so obvious they have simply given up hiding it. Can you trust anything they say at this point? Americans see the truth in job #s & in their wallets! https://t.co/uu4KbW82UO — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 8, 2018





For anyone who ever doubted media bias against conservatives I present exhibit A: @nbc — Sean Spicer (@seanspicer) January 8, 2018





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This tweet puts every reporter at NBC in a bad spot. Foolish thing for them to do. But at least now they are open about their bias. https://t.co/tIQtBodRkS — Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) January 8, 2018





Call me old fashioned but a major network saying this, no matter how you feel about Oprah, bothers me a lot. https://t.co/VZJGt3y9hW — Anthony De Rosa (@Anthony) January 8, 2018





I have watched every episode of the Oprah show in history, I credit her with saving my life, there is no bigger fan…so I feel I have some moral authority when I say that this is a strange tweet for a broadcast network. https://t.co/bH0pczGPtY — Yashar Ali (@yashar) January 8, 2018





During his monologue, Meyers explained that jokes he told about Donald Trump during the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner — an event he hosted — were reported to have provoked Trump to run for president.

“So if that’s true, I just want to say: Oprah, you will never be president. You do not have what it takes,” Meyers said before calling on Tom Hanks. “And Hanks. Where is Hanks? You will never be vice president. You are too mean and unrelatable. Now we just wait and see.”

Later, while accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award, Winfrey gave a moving speech that led to renewed speculation that the former queen of daytime television is, in fact, considering a presidential run.

CNN reported on Monday that “two of her close friends” say Winfrey is “actively thinking” about a White House bid.

Trump, who once told Larry King that Winfrey would make an ideal running mate if he were to ever run for president, did not respond publicly to Winfrey’s Golden Globes appearance.

But on Air Force One, White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley was asked what the White House thought about Winfrey’s speech.

“Regardless of who’s on the ballot, regardless who decides to run against this president, they are going to have to face a president who has record-setting achievements in record-setting time,” Gidley said, “whether it’s an economy that is booming, job creation, historic tax cuts and tax reform when that hadn’t been touched in 30 years, an increase in wages, an absolute decimation of ISIS in Iraq and Syria.”

He added: “We welcome the challenge, whether it be Oprah Winfrey or anybody else.”

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