After a recent poll revealed that 46% of Americans would favor him for president, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson said that he will be listening and learning to discern whether or not he would partake in the “humbling honor” of running for president.
Speaking with PEOPLE, Johnson said that he is grateful for the many opportunities that America has afforded him and would run for president as a payment of debt.
“I love our country to my core and I’m endlessly grateful for the opportunities I’ve had here, as a half-Black, half-Samoan kid being able to work my ass off knowing tenacity opens doors,” he told the magazine. “In a lot of ways, I’m indebted to our great country for it.”
While the actor does not consider himself a politician or someone with “the patience or resignation to deal with the B.S. that comes with politics and politicians,” he appreciated that 46% of Americans wanted him for the job.
“When 46 percent of Americans say they’re in favor of me becoming president, that forces me to humbly and respectfully stand up, listen and learn,” he said.
Growing up to become the global superstar that he is, Johnson said that his journey was not without adversity.
“When I wasn’t [in Hawaii], I was usually primarily in the South. And at that time growing up, you run into discrimination. You run into discrimination at the workplace,” he said. “But I’ve always been of the mindset that I can’t change that and I can’t change the way I look. I was born with this color and who I am and where I’m from. So the best thing that I could do is control the controllables, put in the work with my own two hands, and if someone then continues to choose to discriminate against me, well, that’s on them.”
Going all the way back to 2016, the “Fast & Furious” star has teased possibly running for president. This past February, while speaking with USA Today about “Young Rock,” Johnson echoed his 2017 comments to Ellen DeGeneres that he may run for president.
“I would consider a presidential run in the future if that’s what the people wanted,” he said. “Truly, I mean that, and I’m not flippant in any way with my answer. That would be up to the people…So I would wait, and I would listen. I would have my finger on the pulse, my ear to the ground.”
Last September, Johnson labeled himself a “centrist” as he endorsed Joe Biden, clarifying that he has voted for both parties while hailing Kamala Harris as a “certified badass.”
“As a political independent & centrist, I’ve voted for both parties in the past,” Johnson tweeted. “In this critical presidential election, I’m endorsing [Joe Biden] & [Kamala Harris]. Progress takes courage, humanity, empathy, strength, KINDNESS & RESPECT. We must ALL VOTE[.]”
Upon Biden’s election, Johnson admitted to crying “manly tears” over the prospect of Harris being vice president.
“I wanted to shoot this yesterday, when the news broke, but I got a little emotional, admittedly so, I got a little emotional yesterday, manly tears of course, I may have cried a tear or two, or ten, but they were all very manly. All my tears are manly,” he said.
Johnson went on to say that he got emotional because of what he felt his vote “represented.”
“My vote represented humanity. My vote represented decency,” he continued. “It represented the values and the principles of which we teach our little girls. My vote also, for me, represented the importance of just being a good, decent human being.”
Most recently, comedian Bill Maher criticized Johnson and other celebrities for the “narcissism” of wanting to jump into politics.
“Let me put it bluntly to you and all the other showbiz candidates. You’re not good enough, you’re not smart enough, and doggone it, it completely doesn’t matter that people like you. They like you now because you’re an entertainer and, thus, largely uncontroversial. Governing is the opposite,” said Maher.
Related: Howard Stern Warns The Rock, Matthew McConaughey About Getting Into Politics