At least 46 percent of Americans would support a presidential run from Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson, according to a new poll.
The actor and former professional wrestler has hinted that could be a 2024 candidate for several years. A poll released on Tuesday by Piplsay suggests that nearly half of all U.S. adults would support his candidacy. The poll found that 29 percent would support campaigns by both Johnson for president and actor Matthew McConaughey for Texas governor, with another 17 percent supporting Johnson's run only.
In addition to Johnson, the poll asked respondents to weigh in on whether a number of other celebrities should run for president. A presidential run from Angelina Jolie had the support of 30 percent, while 27 percent supported Oprah Winfrey and another 22 percent supported Tom Hanks. A combined 63 percent said that Hollywood stars would "make good politicians" if they had "political aptitude" or "the right team in place."
The poll was conducted online among 30,138 adults between April 2 and April 4. No margin of error was listed.
Johnson has been asked about running for presidential on multiple occasions over the past several years. In 2016, he told GQ magazine that he would not rule out a run, calling the idea of being president "alluring," while noting that there were "a lot of other things" he would like to do first. A year later, during an interview on The Ellen Show, Johnson said he was "seriously" considering becoming a candidate.
During a 2018 appearance on The Late Show, Johnson told host Stephen Colbert that he was still "absolutely" contemplating a run. However, he said that he would need to "get some experience and understand policy" before launching his potential White House bid, mentioning the elections of 2024 or 2028 as possibilities.
Johnson has continued to indicate he is interested in seeking the presidency, while suggesting that his decision would be based on the level of public interest. In a USA Today article published in February 2021, Johnson said that a decision about his political future would be "up to the people."
"I would consider a presidential run in the future if that's what the people wanted," Johnson told the paper. "Truly I mean that, and I'm not flippant in any way with my answer. That would be up to the people...So I would wait, and I would listen. I would have my finger on the pulse, my ear to the ground."
Johnson endorsed President Joe Biden in the 2020 election. He has said he did not vote in the 2016 election but voted for former President Barack Obama in both 2008 and 2012.
"Not sure our Founding Fathers ever envisioned a six-four, bald, tattooed, half-Black, half-Samoan, tequila drinking, pick up truck driving, fanny pack wearing guy joining their club - but if it ever happens it'd be my honor to serve the people," Johnson tweeted while sharing this article on Friday.
Not sure our Founding Fathers ever envisioned a six-four, bald, tattooed, half-Black, half-Samoan, tequila drinking, pick up truck driving, fanny pack wearing guy joining their club - but if it ever happens it’d be my honor to serve the people 🙏🏾💪🏾🇺🇸 https://t.co/6Xd9ADzqX7
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) April 9, 2021
Newsweek reached out to Johnson's representatives for comment.
Update, 4/10 12:03 a.m.: This article has been updated to include a tweet from Johnson responding to the article.
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Aila Slisco is a Newsweek night reporter based in New York. Her focus is on reporting national politics, where she ... Read more
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