Sometimes, you can learn more about how someone feels from what they don’t say than from what they say.
For example, when actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson says he will not endorse any presidential candidate in the upcoming 2024 election, it’s a pretty good indication that he regrets his decision to endorse President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
In 2020, Johnson made headlines with his endorsement of Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, tweeting, “As a political independent & centrist, I’ve voted for both parties in the past. In this critical presidential election, I’m endorsing @JoeBiden & @KamalaHarris. Progress takes courage, humanity, empathy, strength, KINDNESS & RESPECT.”
As a political independent & centrist, I’ve voted for both parties in the past. In this critical presidential election, I’m endorsing @JoeBiden & @KamalaHarris.
Progress takes courage, humanity, empathy, strength, KINDNESS & RESPECT.
We must ALL VOTE: https://t.co/rZi1mxh8DC pic.twitter.com/auLbc8xDBv
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) September 27, 2020
But, in an interview with Fox News’ Will Cain on Friday, Johnson said he is not happy with the state of America right now.
“Are you happy that you made that endorsement in 2020?’ Cain asked Johnson. “Are you happy with the state of America?”
“Am I happy with the state of America right now? Well, that answer is no,” Johnson told Cain.
“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.
Should more celebrities speak out against Biden?
“The endorsement that I made years ago with Biden was one I thought was the best decision for me at that time,” Johnson said. “And 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 this is who I’m going to endorse.”
“Am I going to do that again this year? That answer is no,” he said. “I’m not going to do that,” he said.
“I was then the most followed American man in the world, and I am today, the most followed American man in the world, and I appreciate that … but what that caused back then was something that tears me up in my guts — which is division. That got me. I didn’t realize that then, I just thought ‘hey our country feels like there’s a lot of unrest, it feels like I would like things to calm down. Maybe we need a change. This is what I’m going to do. This is who I’m going to endorse.’”
The takeaway after that …. was it caused an incredible amount of division,” Johnson continued, “I realize now going into this election, I will not do that. My goal is to bring this country together. I believe in that in my DNA,” he said.
“There’s going to be no endorsement,” the pro wrestling star added.
“This level of influence, I keep my politics to myself. I think it’s between me and the ballot box.
“But I will tell you this,” he added, “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’s gonna be my president and that’s who I’m gonna support, 100 percent,” he said.
Johnson also criticized “cancel culture” and “woke culture,” saying, “In today’s easy cancel culture world — and cancel culture, woke culture, this culture, that culture, division, etc. — that really bugs me. And in the spirit of that, you either succumb and be what you think other people want you to be or you go, ‘No, that’s not who I am, I’m going to be myself and be real.’”
“If you ask me something, a real answer is important and a truthful answer is important. And that may get people upset, and that may piss people off, and that’s okay,” he said.
While Johnson did not say who he was supporting for president, his statements about his unhappiness about the state of the country, woke culture, and his refusal to make an endorsement make it fairly obvious who he isn’t supporting for president.
The media coverage of a proudly touted 2020 celebrity endorser backing out of endorsing Biden this time is as good as an open rejection.
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