Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is facing criticism over comments about his previous endorsement of Joe Biden.
The 51-year-old actor, who backed Mr Biden when he ran for US president in 2020, was asked in an interview with Fox News whether he would do so again during this campaign.
But what did Johnson say and why is he being criticised?
Biden endorsement ’caused division’
Asked by Fox News whether he was happy with his 2020 endorsement and the current state of America, the former wrestler said: “Am I happy with the state of America right now? Well, that answer’s no. Do I believe we’re going to get better? I believe in that. I’m an optimistic guy, and I believe we can get better.”
The actor said his endorsement, which was the first time he had ever publicly supported a presidential candidate, was the “best decision for me at that time”.
“Am I going to do that again this year? That answer’s no. I’m not going to do that,” he said.
He told Fox News he believed it “caused an incredible amount of, division in our country”, which he said “tears me up in my guts back then and now”.
This time, he said, his “goal is to bring our country together”.
“I believe in that, in my DNA,” he added. “So in the spirit of that, there’s going to be no endorsement.”
He said that given his level of influence, “I’m going to keep my politics to myself”.
He added: “I will tell you this, like a lot of us out there, not trusting of all politicians, I do trust the American people and I trust that whoever they vote for… that is my president who I will support 100%.”
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What did Johnson say about cancel culture?
Asked what was important to him, he said: “To be real and to be direct and to be open and to be transparent… that’s important to me.
“In today’s easy cancel culture world and cancel culture, woke culture, this culture, that culture, division, etc, that really bugs me.”
“In the spirit of that, you either succumb and be what you think other people want you to be or you go: ‘Well no, that’s not who I am, I’m going to be myself and I’m going to be real’… and that may get people upset, it may piss people off, and that’s okay.
“But it took me some time to recognise that.”
Johnson said he didn’t realise the power of fame until he “got down the road a little bit”.
He said he later realised fame is “a superpower when used correctly… when you can use it to influence people”, adding it could be used to make people more “direct” and “honest”.
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Why is Johnson being criticised?
Many on social media have accused Johnson of playing it too safe for the sake of his public image and wide appeal.
Others have said he could have simply stayed quiet on the matter, rather than announcing he would not be publicly supporting Mr Biden again.
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Some have suggested his comments are an indirect endorsement of Donald Trump, claiming Johnson’s lack of support for Mr Biden benefits Republicans more than Democrats.
Johnson’s comments were booed by the studio audience on chat show The View after a clip of the Fox interview was played.
Sky News has contacted Johnson’s representatives for comment.
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What did Johnson say in 2020?
The actor interviewed Mr Biden and then running mate Kamala Harris ahead of what he called “arguably the most critical election our country has seen in decades”.
In a video shared on his social media accounts, Johnson told his followers that endorsing a candidate “is something that I’ve certainly not done in the past, so I’m going to go big – you guys know me, if I go, I go big!”
“As a registered independent for years now with centrist ideologies, I do feel that vice president Biden and senator Harris are the best choice to lead our country and I am endorsing them to become president and vice president of our United States,” he said at the time.
Johnson talked about political careers of Mr Biden and Ms Harris and said her experience proved she is “smart” and “tough” and a “certified badass”.
The Rock, who said he had voted for both parties in the past, also criticised Donald Trump in 2021, suggesting the then-president was absent in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder.
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Could The Rock still run for president himself?
Johnson has long touted the idea of becoming the US president himself, previously saying he would “consider a presidential run in the future if that’s what the people wanted”.
He first made the suggestion in 2017, telling GQ it was “a real possibility” and later revealed he had even considered running in the 2020 election.
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Late last year, he said more than one political party had asked him if he was interested in running at the end of 2022.
Asked in his latest interview if he still intended to run, Johnson told Fox News: “As of now – no, that’s not my intention… I’m not a politician. I’m not into politics.
“I care deeply about our country. I’m a patriot… and right now, my desire and my priorities are my babies and school drop-offs and pickups and things like that. That’s important to me.”
