Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson didn’t rule out a Presidential run after 2020 while he was promoting his upcoming film Knock Down the House at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.
Johnson who just announced that the Fast & Furious presents Hobbs & Shaw trailer will drop on Friday spoke to IndieWire about his potential Presidential run.
The Rock explained to IndieWire, “I saw Kamala Harris’ speech the other day and thought it was good. Just for me, I lack the experience, I lack a lot of things. Certainly not right now.”
On the potential of a run after 2020 he would add, “I’m not ruling it out. I’m not ruling out the idea if I could make a bigger impact somehow, or potentially surround myself with good people.”
The Rock continued:
“We’re staying in our lane. I have a lot of friends who are politicians, many former presidents, senators, former senators. You name it, on every level. While it is extremely flattering that a good amount of people feel that I should run for president, or make a decent president, or not suck at a being president, at the end of the day, I have a tremendous amount of respect for that position.”
The Rock’s manager and ex-wife Dany Garcia echoed The Rock’s sentiments, “At this point, we’re not in politics, so why leverage this to make our audience feel that?”
Though their focus is currently with the company, she did leave room open for change if the timing was right.
“If we were committed, we’d move the production company aside and say, ‘This is who we are. We have a relationship with the audience based upon a premise, and that’s why they chose to have a relationship with us. What’s my right to change that premise so that now you suddenly have a political relationship with me? You didn’t choose to have a political relationship. Maybe now they do. But it’s about respecting why you engaged with us.”
The Rock made it clear he would not be running for President in 2020 while speaking with Rolling Stone.
“I mean, look, people are very excited, and it’s so flattering that they’re excited. I think it’s also a function of being very unsatisfied with our current president. But this is a skill set that requires years and years of experience. On a local level, on a state level and then on a national level. I have the utmost respect for our country and that position, and I’m not delusioned in any way to think, ‘Oh, absolutely, if Trump can do it, I can do it, and I’ll see you in 20-whatever, get ready.’ Not at all.”
The Rock would add:
“I think in a lot of people’s minds, what Trump has proved is that anybody can run for president. And in a lot of people’s minds, what he’s also proved is that not everybody should run for president. What I’m sensing now is that we have to pivot back to people who have a deep-rooted knowledge of American history and politics and experience in policy and how laws get made. I think that pivot has to happen.”
Johnson did admit he’s taking meetings with a number of individuals, “Republicans, Democrats, independents, mayors, strategists, you name it. Just soaking in and listening. Trying to learn as much as I possibly can. I entertain the thought, and thank you, I’m so flattered by it. But I feel like the best thing I can do now is, give me years. Let me go to work and learn.”
He also revealed that at least one well-known political figure told him to text “freedom patriot” and he would drop what he is doing and help him on his campaign.
“I will say this really quick, which is cool. So there’s a well-known political figure who said, ‘All right, listen. If and when you want to run for president, when you text me this word, I’ll come running. Don’t text any other word – not hi, not how you doing, not what’s up. Just this word.”
The Rock teases, “The word is fr— I can’t say the word!” Finally, he reveals the phrase, “Freedom patriot. Two words.”
As The Rock and his manager explained, he’s got a very busy schedule coming up. He’s rumored to appear in a Suicide Squad sequel although it’s unclear if that rumor has any weight with James Gunn coming on to write and direct the film. He’s still supposedly working on a Black Adam solo film.
What we do know is that he will be filming the [easyazon_link identifier=”B07816TG17″ locale=”US” tag=”boundingintocomics-20″]Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle[/easyazon_link] sequel. He’s also rumored to appear in a Big Trouble in Little China remake. The Rock will also appear in The King, Doc Savage, and a San Andreas sequel.
One thing is clear is that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a master of time management as he takes on project after project and gets it done. While 2020 might not be in the cards, it’s possible he could be the next Ronald Reagan, an actor who becomes President of the United States.
What do you think of a Johnson Presidency? Would it be a good idea for him? Or is it too early to tell?