Forget the Fast and the Furious movies – The Rock’s next big heist could see him stealing the presidency, if a new committee has its way. Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson has previously proposed running for office in 2020 – initially as a joke, then later more seriously, criticizing President Donald Trump for choosing ‘noise’ over ‘poise’. But now a campaign committee has been filed with the Federal Election Commission under the name ‘Run The Rock 2020,’ kicking up rumors of a Johnson presidency all over again.
The forms – which note that the committee is ‘NOT authorized’ – were filed by Kenton Tilford of Wheeling, West Virginia, on Sunday. Tilford said he hopes that the project will galvanize potential Johnson supporters – and ultimately get The Rock out to lay the smackdown on the 2020 candidates. ‘While there has been significant discussion of the possibility of The Rock running for President, there is currently no avenue for supporters to channel their energies and get Mr Johnson to notice the groundswell of support he has in the grassroots,’ he said.
By starting Run The Rock 2020, I hope to harness that energy and help persuade Mr Johnson that America needs his leadership now. Tilford, a registered Democrat, said he felt Trump, Clinton and Sanders all lacked the leadership and unifying power needs in these difficult times. And Johnson, he says, could do the job, pointing to his support for the troops as an example of his unifying qualities. ‘There may not be a more broadly beloved celebrity in America today,’ he explained.
He added that both Barack Obama and Donald Trump prove decades of experience as a politician aren’t necessary to do the job. If he were elected, The Rock would be the second president of the US to have a wrestling career with the WWE – after Donald Trump. Trump, who is pals with WWE owner Vince McMahon, has appeared multiple times as a guest at the events, starting with WrestleMania IV in 1988. He even ‘wrestled’ McMahon (alongside pro wrestlers Umaga and Bobby Lashley) in 2007, with the loser – McMahon – having to shave his head.
In 2013 Trump was inducted into the Wrestling Hall of Fame at Madison Square Garden. Wrestling – of the more traditional kind – has also been prominent in the lives of several other presidents, including William Taft, Abraham Lincoln and George Washington himself.
Here’s a recent interview that Dwayne did on the Tonight Show, addressing rumors.
Personally, I like the move. I believe Dwayne is an honest hard working guy who doesn’t take anything from bullies, especially big old bullies like Donald Trump.