Actor and former WWE superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who has teased the possibility of a presidential run in the past, said he is still open to it and would consider running in the future “if that’s what the people wanted.”
“I would consider a presidential run in the future if that’s what the people wanted,” the Fast and the Furious star said in an interview discussing his NBC sitcom Young Rock. “Truly I mean that, and I’m not flippant in any way with my answer. That would be up to the people. … So I would wait, and I would listen. I would have my finger on the pulse, my ear to the ground.”
That is not the first time the San Andreas actor has suggested that he is considering a future in the political arena. In a 2017 interview on The Ellen Show, the wrestler-turned action star told viewers that he was “seriously considering” a presidential bid, and he hinted elsewhere, telling Vanity Fair that he “wouldn’t rule it out” — a response to inquiries over a potential 2020 presidential run, which ultimately did not materialize.
“I wouldn’t rule it out. It would be a great opportunity to help people, so it’s possible. This past election shows that anything can happen,” he said at the time.
Johnson formally endorsed now-President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in September but explained to his 15 million Twitter followers that he has voted for members of both parties in the past. “You guys are both experienced to lead, you’ve done great things. Joe you’ve had such an incredible career, and you’ve led with such great compassion, heart, drive, and soul,” Johnson said in the 5-minute video.
“Kamala you have been a district attorney, a state attorney, a U.S. Senator. You are smart and tough. I have seen you in those hearings,” he continued, referring to her as a “certified badass.”
As a political independent & centrist, I’ve voted for both parties in the past. In this critical presidential election, I’m endorsing @JoeBiden & @KamalaHarris.
Progress takes courage, humanity, empathy, strength, KINDNESS & RESPECT.
We must ALL VOTE: https://t.co/rZi1mxh8DC pic.twitter.com/auLbc8xDBv
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) September 27, 2020
Days after the presidential election, after the establishment media called the race for Biden, Johnson hopped on social media and admitted that he shed “manly tears” over the Democrat candidate’s apparent victory.
“I got a little emotional yesterday, manly tears of course, I may have cried a tear or two, or ten, but they were all very manly. All my tears are manly,” the Jumanji star said in his congratulatory video.
In 2019, Britain’s Daily Star published a piece attributing quotes from Johnson criticizing the “snowflake” generation — a massive jump from the cancel culture narrative embraced by his Hollywood counterparts.
“I don’t have to agree with what somebody thinks, who they vote for, what they voted for, what they think, but I will back their right to say or believe it. That’s democracy,” the outlet reported. “So many good people fought for freedom and equality – but this generation are looking for a reason to be offended.”
However, Dwayne Johnson vehemently denied that he issued such criticism, stating that the interview “never happened.”
“If I ever had an issue with someone, a group, community or a generation — I’d seek them out, create dialogue and do my best to understand them. Criticizing ain’t my style,” he said. “I don’t cast stones and we all get to be who we are.”
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