“Dwayne Johnson for President 2020.” Has a nice ring to it, no? Good strong name behind a good strong guy, matched with a nice even number. Though that sounds like an excellent Cards Against Humanity play, the phrase has been picking up speed in the last week or so, to the point where the actor was asked about it last night while speaking with Jimmy Fallon.
There promoting his new movie, BAYWATCH, Johnson was almost immediately asked if he was serious about potentially running for president, and he began to elaborate how this whole thing even got started:
Well this profile [for GQ] came out – and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention her name – Caity Weaver is a really brilliant writer, and the story has really blown up because it was so wonderfully written. She’s very, very witty, she was amazing. But in it as we were talking about it she goes, “Would you ever consider running for president?” And I said, “Yeah of course I would consider it.” And the surge and the groundswell since then has really been amazing. And I gotta tell you I’m so incredibly flattered that…you know there’s a national poll that just came this week that brought together Republicans and Democrats saying I would beat Donald Trump if we had an election today to become president. I’ve really been blown away, right, and it’s so flattering.
The poll he mentions came from a national poll from Public Policy Polling that gave Johnson a sizeable win over Trump in the 2020 election, adding more fuel to the “Johnson for President” fire. Though he never comes out with a full answer, the muscle-bound thespian spoke to why he thinks the idea has caught on so quickly, all before leaving on the biggest cliffhanger ever:
I think it’s because people wanna see a different leadership – I’m sorry, not different, but a better leadership today – and I think more poise less noise. And I think that over the years I’ve become a guy that people kind of relate to, who get up early in the morning at a ridiculous hour and go to work and spend time with the troops, take care of my family – I love taking care of people – and I think that kind of thing really resonates with people, especially today. I’ve been blown away and I’m very flattered by it. Three and a half years is a long way away, so we’ll see.
Did he just throw some shade at President Trump. Let's get ready to rumble indeed!
Though he doesn't say if he is or not, he has clearly put some serious thought into this. Putting the current politics aside, would Johnson actually run for president? I mean, yes, the guy has the mass market appeal, is an undeniably hard worker and is genuinely looked up to across the world. Plus the 2016 election proved anything is possible, giving the notion even more credence. But this is politics, and Johnson would have to seriously commit to the job 100 percent, and his movie schedule alone is getting more and more crowded. Given all he's signed on to do, and is likely to sign on for in the future, I can't see it happening. If he does run say goodbye to Johnson as Black Adam. He’ll have to worry more about the Middle East than punching Superman.
Catch (future president?) Johnson in BAYWATCH on May 25.