Howard Stern Warns Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and Matthew McConaughey Against Running for Office

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Howard Stern had some words of caution for Dwayne “The Rock” Jonson and Matthew McConaughey amid their possible runs for political office.

The two movie stars have publicly teased their political ambitions in several interviews as of late. Johnson has stated several times that he’d consider running for president if enough people supported the idea, while McConaughey has toyed with the notion of running for governor in his home state of Texas.

On his SiriusXM show Tuesday, Stern warned both stars that the public might not be so encouraging of their potential bids once they’re forced to talk policy.

“You know what it is with these guys is that they don’t understand, once you run for office, you actually have to give an opinion,” Stern said.

“Like this guy, The Rock — lovely guy, I’ve met him,” Stern continued. “He’s the most non-controversial human being you’ll ever meet.”

Stern added that “everybody” loves the former wrestler, but that could quickly change once he has to specify where he stands on various issues.

“People in the military assume The Rock is pro-military,” Stern said. “People in the police force believe The Rock is a law and order guy. People who are Trumpy believe The Rock really secretly loves Trump. The people who are liberals are going ‘You know what? The Rock is with us.’”

Using abortion rights as an example, Stern went on to say that once Johnson voices his opinion on the matter: “Oops! Suddenly people don’t like The Rock.”

McConaughey has remained relatively centrist, but he called gun violence “an epidemic plaguing our country” in a 2018 interview with TIME, and advocated for gun control at a March For Our Lives demonstration in Austin.

Stern noted that once McConaughey starts talking about gun control on the campaign trail, “Half of Texas is going to take him and throw him out a window.”

The radio host concluded that celebrities, in general, lack the experience to decide America’s politics.

“Call me old fashion, but you’ve got to do a little public service before you get an important job like the governor,” he said.

It’s worth noting, Stern ran for governor of New York as a Libertarian candidate in 1994, but decided to drop out of the race rather than disclose his personal finances. However, Stern’s foray into politics – which included plans to reinstate the death penalty – was considered more of a radio stunt than a serious bid for office.

It remains to be seen if Johnson and McConaughey divide voters the way Stern suggests, but according to a consumer research poll last month, the majority of Americans want both stars to run for office.