On Wednesday, President Obama presented media mogul Oprah Winfrey with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, just days after Winfrey told the BBC that Americans disrespected President Obama thanks to his race. In promoting her new movie, The Butler, Oprah has repeatedly labeled the American people racist, including explaining that a whole generation of people “born and bred and marinated” in racism would have to die out to end racism.

Obama feted Winfrey by comparing himself to her:

Early in Oprah Winfrey’s career, her bosses told her she should change her name to Susie. I have to pause here to say I got the same advice. They didn’t say I should be named ‘Susie,’ but they suggested I should change my name. People can relate to Susie, that’s what they said. It turned out, surprisingly, that people could relate to Oprah just fine.”

He then added that Winfrey was an inspirational American figure who helps Americans “discover the best in ourselves” – a unique perspective given Oprah’s statements about America’s racist nature. Obama stated:

In more than 4,500 episodes of her show, her message was always, “You can.” “You can do and you can be and you can grow and it can be better.” And she was living proof, rising from a childhood of poverty and abuse to the pinnacle of the entertainment universe. But even with 40 Emmys, the distinction of being the first black female billionaire, Oprah’s greatest strength has always been her ability to help us discover the best in ourselves. Michelle and I count ourselves among her many devoted fans and friends. As one of those fans wrote, “I didn’t know I had a light in me until Oprah told me it was there.” What a great gift.