Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Endorses Joe Biden for President

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson officially announced his endorsement of Joe Biden for president on Sunday morning. The actor posted a 7-minute video on Instagram, explaining his decision and urging his followers to vote in the 2020 presidential election. The announcement follows a video chat between Johnson, Biden and vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris, also published on Sunday.

Johnson acknowledged that he has never gotten into the political arena before and that this first step he is taking is a big one. “You guys know me,” he said, “if I go, I go big!” He also stressed that he is personally “a political independent and centrist,” who has voted for both Democrats and Republicans in the past. He felt that this is “arguably the most critical election our country has seen in decades,” and that he has put the time and energy into determining that Biden and Harris are the best candidates.

“Look, I’ve got friends in all parties, but the one thing we can always agree on, is the conversation and the dialogue — and where that conversation lands — is always the most important part,” he said.

Johnson left the comments enabled on his Instagram post but acknowledged that it would likely be divisive by writing: “Progress takes courage, humanity, empathy, strength, grit, kindness and respect. Being KIND [and] RESPECTFUL to one another will always matter.” Sure enough, many of the top comments were angry rebukes from supporters of President Donald Trump, who accused Johnson of either falling for or participating in what they saw as a conspiracy to get Trump out of the White House. Many questioned whether the actor had really done his research thoroughly, and some even hurled insults at him.

Johnson’s public conversation with Biden and Harris was about five minutes long, with the two of them tuning in from a studio where they sat six feet apart and Johnson sitting in his ornate office. After exchanging some niceties, the three went on to discuss politics in broad terms, emphasizing character and integrity.

“You guys are both obviously experienced to lead. You’ve done great things. Joe, you’ve had such an incredible career. You’ve led in my opinion, with great compassion, and heart, and drive, but also soul. You and I talked about that in the past and how important soul is,” said Johnson.

“That means a great deal to us, for real,” Biden said. Johnson went on to compliment Harris as “smart and tough,” adding: “I’ve seen you in those hearings and in my opinion you are a certified badass.”

Johnson’s social media links all now direct his followers to places where they can register to vote and get more information on how the process will work in their state. The 2020 presidential election is set for Tuesday, Nov. 3.