For Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, star of this month's R-rated Baywatch reboot, an eventual presidential run is now a "real possibility." In Caity Weaver’s (excellent) new GQpiece "Dwayne Johnson for President," 2016's highest-paid actor on the planet revealed he had given the move more thought after noticing "a real sense of earnestness" in people's questions. "I didn't want to be flippant," Johnson told GQ.
Elsewhere in the interview, Johnson revealed he was approached by both the Clinton and Trump teams for a potential endorsement during the 2016 election, but declined. Johnson also expressed complete disagreement with Trump's attempts at a Muslim ban. "I believe in inclusion," Johnson, who's now registered as an independent, said.
In the months leading up to last year's bullshit-laden presidential election, Johnson's name was mentioned in a political capacity multiple times, inspiring a full year's worth of presidential teases. Here, we take a look back at Johnson's journey from "maybe" to "a real possibility."
March 2016 - Johnson highlights an article about why he should run for POTUS.
On Twitter, Johnson highlighted what he called a "cool piece" on why he should run for POTUS. "Maybe one day," he said, noting that he would require a parking spot for his truck.
June 2016 - Johnson says he's not sure about entering politics, but it would be an opportunity to make "a real impact."
In a cover interview for British GQ, Johnson said he hadn't ruled out a future in politics. "I'm not being coy when I say that, but at the moment I am not sure," he said at the time, adding that the thought of being governor or president "is alluring." Such a position, Johnson said, could provide "an opportunity to make a real impact on people's lives" around the world. "But there are a lot of other things I want to do first," he said.
June 2016 - Johnson thanks the Washington Post for its piece theorizing that he could "actually win" a presidential election.
Johnson shared some commentary on Alyssa Rosenberg's Post piece, praising the "interesting" article's attention to detail. "I care deeply about our country," Johnson said on Instagram. Though he again noted the appeal of making positive impact on a global level, Johnson made no claims of a political career being imminent. "The most important thing right now is strong, honest leadership from our current and future leaders of this country," he said.
November 2016 - Johnson says he wouldn't rule out a POTUS run, as the 2016 election showed that "anything can happen."
Speaking withVanity Fair at a Moana press conference in Los Angeles shortly after the fuckery of the 2016 election, Johnson again said he wouldn't rule out an eventual POTUS run. "It would be a great opportunity to help people, so it's possible," he said. "This past election shows that anything can happen."
February 2017 - Johnson speaks his mind after Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank calls Trump a "real asset" to the U.S.
This one doesn't technically count as a "presidential tease," but Johnson's statement in response to Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank's ill-received pro-Trump comments did manage to slam Plank's remarks while also reaffirming Johnson's loyalty to the rest of the UA team. "[Plank's] words were divisive and lacking in perspective," Johnson wrote on Instagram. "Inadvertently creating a situation where the personal political opinions of UA's partners and its employees were overshadowed by the comments of its CEO."
