The Rock Tells Fox News Why He’s Not Endorsing Anyone This Year After Backing Biden in 2020

Fox News hyped its exclusive interview with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson several times on Friday, especially his response to being asked about who he was endorsing for president this year: no one.

Fox’s Will Cain, who spoke with Johnson as the WWE legend and Hollywood icon prepared for this year’s WrestleMania in Philadelphia, brought up the size of Johnson’s influence on his massive following. He followed up by asking Johnson about how he used that influence in 2020 when he backed President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Cain asked Johnson indirectly if he regretted that decision:

Cain: There was a time that you used your fame, and it was a time that not everybody was happy. And that was a few years ago. And you made a very big point, you said “I’ve never done this before. I’ve never endorsed a political candidate.” And you endorsed Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. And I’m being real with you, and you’re being real with me, a lot of people on Fox watching this, you and I talking right now, remember that and wonder about that. So, how do you feel now in retrospect with that endorsement?

Johnson: In what way?

Cain: Are you happy that you made that endorsement in 2020? Are you happy with the state of America?

Johnson: Am I happy with the state of America right now? Well, that answer’s no.

That bit was the takeaway for a lot of people, and that was the clip that ran on Fox News to tease the interview. But it wasn’t Johnson’s full response. This was more of what he said:

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. The endorsement that I made years ago with Biden was one I thought was the best decision for me at that time. 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 with, “this is who I’m going to endorse.” Am I going to do that again this year? That answer’s no. I’m not going to do that.

That’s where other clips ended, with Johnson saying he wasn’t going to endorse Biden again, and several outlets ran with that. Some even framed it as Johnson saying he regretted endorsing Biden, but that’s not accurate either. (He didn’t even use the word “regret.”) But again, that still wasn’t his full response:

Because what I realized, and I didn’t realize it back then, Will, but I realize it today, and back then, just like I am today, very lucky. 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 I also realize that what that caused back then was something that tears me up in my guts, back then and now, which is division. And that got me. And I didn’t realize it 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 and this is who I’m going to endorse.”

The takeaway after that, months and months and months, I started to realize like, oh man, that caused an incredible amount of division in our country. So I realize now going into this election, I’m not going to do that. I wouldn’t do that because my goal is to bring our country together. I believe in that, in my DNA. So in the spirit of that, there’s going to be no endorsement. Not that I’m afraid of it at all, but it’s just I realize that this level of influence I’m gonna keep my politics to myself, and I think it’s between me and the ballot box. But I will tell you this: While, 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 going to be my president. And that’s why I’m going to support 100 percent.

If Johnson regretted anything, it was the fact that his endorsement caused division amongst his fans, and he has a lot of them. Speaking out in favor of any political candidate would have done that, and that’s why he said he won’t do it again.

That’s what the Rock is cooking.

Watch the full interview via Fox News on YouTube.