Trump Reveals Oprah Winfrey's Regret They Weren't Presidential Running Mates

While Oprah and 'The Donald' are now separated by the US partisan political divide, they were once good friends who paid gushing public tributes to each other. Now Trump is set to release a book of potentially-embarrassing letters he received over the years from politicians and celebs.

Donald Trump has revealed how liberal talk-show host Oprah Winfrey lamented that they weren't running for president and VP together.

The ironic revelation came in a trailer for the former president's new book, Letters to Trump, a collection of missives he has received from political leaders and celebrities.

"Too bad we're not running for office. What a team!" Winfrey told Trump in a hand-written letter with her personal letterhead, dated January 11, 2000.

The letter was to thank Trump for sending her an advance copy of his 2000 book The America We Deserve, in which he wrote that the TV star would be his "first choice for vice president."

"Americans respect and admire Oprah for her intelligence and caring," he wrote in the 2000 book. "She has provided inspiration for millions of women to improve their lives, go back to school, learn to read, and take responsibility for themselves. If I can't get Oprah, I'd like someone like her."

"I have to tell you your comments made me a little weepy," Winfrey wrote back. "It's one thing to try and live a life of integrity — still another to have people like yourself notice," she gushed.

"Sadly, once I announced for President, she never spoke to me again," Trump writes in his new book, adding that he still thinks Winfrey is "amazing."

The year before, Trump had changed his voter registration 'supporter' status from the Republican party, who he ran as candidate for in 2016, to backing Ross Perot's recently-founded reform party. He was later registered as a Democrat from 2001 to 2009.

Winfrey is a longstanding Democrat supporter who endorsed Barack Obama's campaign for the party presidential candidacy in the 2008 election and Hillary Clinton in 2016, when she was defeated by Trump.

Trump's erstwhile correspondents include three former US presidents: Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, along with his wife Hillary.

Others featured in the book are Princess Diana, late senator Ted Kennedy, the brother of John F. Kennedy, North Korean President Kim Jong-un, and former New York state governor Mario Cuomo — whose son Andrew followed him into the job before being forced out after multiple scandals.

The book also contains letters from celebrities like Jay Leno, Liza Minnelli and Regis Philbin, who addressed the future president as "My Dear Trumpster."