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THE ROCK WEIGHS IN ON RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT

By Paul Jordan on 2017-12-14 18:02:00

Variety has an exclusive interview with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson about his possible candidacy for President of the United States. In the interview, Johnson says that he will not be eligible for the 2020 election due to his busy schedule for the next few years. However, The Rock says it feels realistic to look towards the 2024 election cycle.

The Jumanji star says the whole idea came out of the blue and he never expected to catch fire like it did. He said the following:

“It was never something that I trumpeted and beat my chest and ever said publicly, ‘This is what I’m going to do,’ but as that story picked up, Americans picked it up and there was this sentiment of, ‘We’re not joking, and we would really love the idea if you would run,'” Johnson recalls.

“In that, I knew I had to listen to the people and really, really think about it,” he continues. “That’s where I’m at right now — I’m well aware politics is not the business I’m in, so the best thing I can do is continuing to listen and learn as much as I can. I’m continuing to watch our presidency and watch how every new development is handled. I continue to watch our leaders in government, and like all Americans, I continue to be hopeful that our leaders exhibit poise, perspective and the ability to bring our country together during these tough times — which I don’t feel our presidency is currently doing — so that’s where I’m at.”

Johnson continued on by saying:

“I care deeply about our country, and I care deeply about our people – especially now,” he says. “Decency matters and being a decent human being matters, and character matters, and leadership matters.”

The Rock discusses how a fan grassroots campaign last year really inspired him to take a hard look at a political career, saying the following:

“I think this is just a product of my DNA, in that when there’s an issue, that’s the time we have to come together, work hard to understand each other and ultimately get to a better place,” Johnson explains. “For example, when it’s a polarizing issue like our NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem, that’s not a time to be divisive and shut them out of the White House. It’s the time to actually open the doors and bring those players in so our President and staff can understand exactly what the needs are — face to face, so change and positive progress can happen — but that’s not happening right now.”

Johnson talks about what he wants out of his running mate if he were to run::

“Two necessities off the top of my mind are that I’d want my VP to be a tremendous leader and a high-quality human being,” he says, “Whether that’s from Hollywood, Washington, the medical field, Wall Street or education.”

Johnson was asked about sexual harassment in the workplace, referring to certain scandals in Hollywood right now, he said the following:

“I’ve shaken the hands of a few of these men, and I want to choke them out, but it’s important to stay poised right now and keep that in mind,”

The Rock is optimistic about the future and creating a better environment for women , saying the following:

“I’m hopeful that my daughters are learning great lessons from what’s happening right now. My 16-year-old daughter Simone has a great head on her shoulders and we’re extremely proud of her, and we will make sure that we raise our daughter Jasmine in the exact same fashion,” he says of his two-year-old. (Days after this interview was conducted, Johnson announced he and his partner Lauren Hashian are expecting their second child together, a baby girl.)

“I’m hopeful in the spirit of what we are witnessing and experiencing now – this watershed moment that is deeply impacting the business that I make my living in – but also the ripple effect and the spider web effect that is deeply impacting cultures of business around the world, even if they’re not making headlines right now,” he continues. “So I’m hopeful, but my hope follows the deep pain and empathy that I have for these very brave women that have come out already and continue to come out.”

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