Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has ruled out a run for president, confirming for the first time that this opportunity is “off the table.”
The confirmation came during an interview with Tracy Smith on “Sunday Morning.”
Johnson has “seriously talked about as a potential candidate for president – and it was talk he didn’t outright dismiss – until now,” CBS wrote in a tweet on Friday.
Actor and international star Dwayne @TheRock Johnson has been seriously talked about as a potential candidate for president – and it was talk he didn’t outright dismiss – until now. Johnson tells @thattracysmith he is ruling out a run for president & more this “Sunday Morning.” pic.twitter.com/38DltxUFej
— CBS Sunday Morning 🌞 (@CBSSunday) October 7, 2022
When asked about a potential presidential run, Johnson shot down the opportunity. “It’s off the table. Yes, it is off the table,” Johnson told Smith.
“I will say this, because it requires the B-side to this,” Johnson told CBS. “I love our country and everyone in it. I also love being a daddy, he said. “And that’s the most important thing to me, being a daddy.” He then went on to say his job as a father is “number one.”
Johnson noted his priorities were not aligned with the demanding role that would come along with a presidential run. He stated that “especially during this time,” it was not an opportunity he could comfortably pursue. “This critical time in my daughters’ lives. ‘Cause I know what it was like to be on the road and be so busy that I was absent for a lot of years when my first daughter’s growing up in these critical age, at this critical time in her life,” Johnson said.
“So my number one priority is my daughters,” Johnson revealed. (RELATED: Megan Rapinoe Accuses Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Of Stealing XFL Logo)
The 50-year-old actor and business mogul first revealed his interest in a presidential run in 2017, and said he would “100% consider” running, according to Variety.
He began carefully assessing the possibility, and said he had conducted “a small amount of research and analysis” to see what his success rate and campaign would look like, during a 2021 interview with Vanity Fair.
After evaluating the opportunity, Johnson has decided to officially pass on it. “Sure, CEO sounds great but the number one thing I want to be is daddy. That’s it,” Johnson told CBS.