The Rock is seriously considering running for president in 2024, and please let the ticket be Johnson/Hanks
Let’s be real for a second: the bar to be the president of the United States right now has, well, changed. But that doesn’t mean news that The Rock is now seriously considering a 2024 run for the highest office in the land any less exciting. After a year of running jokes that The Rock should run for president, the actor/wrestler/former Sexiest Man Alive just said this is no joke.
The whole “The Rock should run for president” thing seems to date back to the spring of 2016 when the actor mentioned pursuing politics to British GQ and the Washington Post ran with it, saying he’d probably have a decent shot. Cut to fans clamoring to MAKE THIS HAPPEN on social media, Saturday Night Live playing up the possibility, and actual paperwork being filed with the FCC qualifying him for the job.
The Rock played along throughout but in a new interview with Variety, he says he’d “100 percent” think about running.
Plus, he gives a specific timeline (2024, not 2020), and some seriously presidential-sounding answers:
“I knew I had to listen to the people and really, really think about it,” Johnson said. “That’s where I’m at right now — I’m well aware politics is not the business I’m in, so the best thing I can do is continuing to listen and learn as much as I can.”
“I’m continuing to watch our presidency and watch how every new development is handled. I continue to watch our leaders in government, and like all Americans, I continue to be hopeful that our leaders exhibit poise, perspective, and the ability to bring our country together during these tough times — which I don’t feel our presidency is currently doing — so that’s where I’m at.”
Now, the real question is, if The Rock were to actually run, would he take his recent SNL monologue to heart and add fellow National Treasure and America’s Dad, Tom Hanks, to the ticket? On a press tour this week, Hanks’ The Post co-star Meryl Streep suggested it should be President Hanks, but honestly, we’re down for whatever campaign configuration gets this pair to Washington.
The Rock left the Hanks possibility open.
“Two necessities off the top of my mind are that I’d want my VP to be a tremendous leader and a high-quality human being,” he said, “Whether that’s from Hollywood, Washington, the medical field, Wall Street or education.” Tremendous leader and high-quality human being? Tom Hanks would be the *perfect* pick.
A post shared by therock (@therock) on May 20, 2017 at 3:51pm PDT
The Rock says he’s currently registered as an Independent, and he’s reportedly attended both Democratic and Republican conventions. This year’s been big for him and it looks like 2018 will be too: He was just added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is out next week, and he has a third daughter on the way (his second with partner Lauren Hashian).
So, yes, he’s juggling a lot right now without adding the weight the free world — but c’mon, have you seen his shoulders? He could probably handle it.
