Joe Biden and Kamala Harris gained a very notable ally on Sunday, days before Biden’s first debate with Donald Trump and weeks before the presidential election in November. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, a self-described centrist who has voted for both parties in the past, officially threw his support behind the Biden/Harris ticket in a lengthy video posted to social media that included a conversation with the Democratic leaders.
As a political independent & centrist, I’ve voted for both parties in the past. In this critical presidential election, I’m endorsing @JoeBiden & @KamalaHarris.
Progress takes courage, humanity, empathy, strength, KINDNESS & RESPECT.
We must ALL VOTE: https://t.co/rZi1mxh8DC pic.twitter.com/auLbc8xDBv
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) September 27, 2020
The moment is notable for a number of reasons, starting with some very public overtures from Johnson about possibly running for president himself at some point. That clearly isn’t happening in 2020, as Kanye West is doing his best to fill the celebrity quota on this year’s ballot. Still, Johnson hadn’t made a public endorsement for president in the past, but isn’t staying on the sidelines this year and the video makes it clear he is supporting Democrats against Donald Trump.
“As a political independent and centrist for many years, I’ve voted for Democrats in the past and as well as Republican,” Johnson wrote in the caption and reiterated in the video. “In this critical election, I believe Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are the best to lead our country, and as my first ever (public) Presidential endorsement, I proudly endorse them for the presidential office of our United States.”
The video includes a conversation between Biden, Harris and Johnson, and it’s very generous to both candidates and their qualifications for president. Johnson said he wanted to “go big” with his first public endorsement, and a seven-minute video doubling as a campaign ad for the Democratic ticket is certainly a splash.