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8 months ago
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Dwayne The Rock Johnson has admitted he regretted endorsing Joe Biden in 2020 and won't be backing him in 2024.
The WWE legend added that he isn't happy with the state of America right now and left open the chance of running for office himself in the future. He has now concluded that his Biden endorsement led to 'division.'
'The endorsement that I made years ago with Biden was one I thought was the best decision for me at that time,' he told Fox and Friends.
'I realize now going into this election, I will not do that, my goal is to bring this country together, he added.
'I will keep my politics to myself. It is between me and the ballot box. Like a lot of us out there, not trusting of all politicians, I do trust the American people and whoever they vote for that is my president and who I will support 100 percent'.
He revealed his new position in an interview on Fox News.
Dwayne The Rock Johnson has admitted he regretted endorsing Joe Biden in 2020 and won't be backing him in 2024
He was asked if he was happy with the state of America – and said he wasn't.
'Am I happy with the state of America right now? Well that answer's no. Do I believe we are going to get better? I believe in that, I'm an optimistic guy and I believe we can get better.
He spoke of the influence he had. 'I thought back then, when we talk about hey you know I'm in this position where I have some influence and it's my job then, I felt like that then, it's my job now to exercise my influence and share with – this is who I'm going to endorse,' he said.
'Am I going to do it again this year? That answer's no.'
He said he was speaking publicly 'to be direct and to be honest and to be transparent.'
He said his 2020 endorsement had caused 'division'
His endorsement came five weeks before Election Day
He spoke to Fox & Friends host Will Cain about coming to grips with his own fame, which he called a 'super power.'
'It took time to recognize that. I was adverse to fame and I didn't understand the power of it, how it could swing both ways. As I got down the road a little bit and started achieving notoriety, I start to realize, this is a super power, fame is a super power, when used correctly, I believe, to influence people and in terms of being direct and honest.'
He said he will keep 'my politics to myself' in an effort to avoid causing 'division,' when reflecting on his prior endorsement.
'Will I do that this year? I will not do that. What I realize, what that caused back then was something that tears me up in my guts back then and now, which is division. That got me. The takeaway after that, months and months, I realized, that caused division in our country. I realize now going into this election, I will not do that, my goal is to bring this country together.
It came in an interview where he spoke about 'woke culture' and 'cancel culture' as things that 'really bug me'.
It was a stunning turnaround from 2020, when the Rock gave a full-throated endorsement, in a move the Biden campaign blasted out on its website. Having the macho validator was a way to counter Trump's own messaging that he was the tougher candidate. His comments made repeated references to Kamala Harris as well.
He said it was something he had 'never done in the past' but decided to 'go big' and followed a sit-down with both of them.
'I've never publicly endorsed a Presidential candidate or Vice Presidential Candidate in my life,' he said. '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 ... 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 said.
He called them the 'best choice to lead our country.'
The Biden release at the time touted his support along with other notables including Chloë Grace Moretz, Alex Rodriguez, and Kesha.
His look back at the impact of his endorsement comes as Biden and Donald Trump are in a tight rematch, with Trump leading in multiple swing states even while facing multiple criminal charges, with polls showing both candidates are unpopular with the wider public.
His public comments coincide with his return to Wrestlemania 40, while taking on a new role that his him playing a role more akin to a 'final boss'
English (US)