Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Says Both Parties Courted Him As A Presidential Candidate

Actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson revealed that he has been asked to run for president multiple times after a 2021 poll found that 46% of Americans would support his campaign.

In his appearance as the first guest on Trevor Noah’s podcast What Now?, Johnson said, “That was an interesting poll that happened, and I was really moved by that at the end of the year in 2022, I got a visit from the parties asking me if I was going to run, and if I could run.”

He continued, “It was a big deal, and it came out of the blue. It was one after the other, and they brought up that poll, and they also brought up their own deep-dive research that would prove that should I ever go down that road. It was all very surreal because that’s never been my goal. My goal has never been to be in politics. As a matter of fact, there’s a lot about politics that I hate.”

However, Johnson has expressed interest in politics in the past. In a 2016 interview with GQ, he said, “I can’t deny that the thought of being governor, the thought of being president, is alluring.”

In 2021, Johnson responded to the poll on Instagram, “I don’t think our Founding Fathers EVER envisioned a six-four, bald, tattooed, half-Black, half-Samoan, tequila drinking, pick up truck driving, fanny pack wearing guy joining their club – but if it ever happens it’d be my honor to serve you, the people.”

Yet last year he told CBS Mornings that the possibility was “off the table.”

“The most important thing to me is being a daddy, number one, especially during this time, this critical time in my daughters’ lives,” he said. 

On Noah’s podcast, Johnson said that his occupation as a pro wrestler didn’t leave much time for his eldest daughter as she grew up, and he wanted to make sure he was there for his younger two as much as possible. His three daughters are now ages 22, 7 and 5.

Johnson didn’t fully close the door on political office. “If that’s ultimately what the people would want, then of course I would consider it,” he said.

The actor has described himself as a “centrist” and a “political independent” in the past and publicly endorsed Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign.