Actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson said running for president is now “off the table” after the Hollywood superstar showed interest in joining the race for the White House as recently as last year.
In a preview of Johnson’s upcoming appearance on “CBS Sunday Morning,” the actor said he loves the United States, but he is no longer pursing a White House bid.
“It is off the table. I will say this because it requires a B side to this. I love our country and everyone in it. I also love being a daddy and that’s the most important thing to me is being a daddy. Number one,” Johnson said.
“Especially during this time, this critical time in my daughters’ lives,” he continued. “Because I know what it was like to be on the road and be so busy that I was absent for a lot of years in my first daughter’s growing up in this critical age and at this critical time in her life. That’s what the presidency will do. So, my number one priority is my daughters.”
“CEO sounds great, but the number one thing I want to be is daddy,” Johnson added. “That’s it.”
In an interview with USA Today last year, Johnson said he “would consider a presidential run in the future if that’s what the people wanted.”
“Truly I mean that, and I’m not flippant in any way with my answer. That would be up to the people,” he continued at the time. “So I would wait, and I would listen. I would have my finger on the pulse, my ear to the ground.”
In 2017, Johnson said a run for the White House was “a real possibility.”
“A year ago, it started coming up more and more,” Johnson told GQ. “There was a real sense of earnestness, which made me go home and think, ‘Let me really rethink my answer and make sure I am giving an answer that is truthful and also respectful.’ I didn’t want to be flippant — ‘We’ll have three days off for a weekend! No taxes!’”
