Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has said in the past that he would consider running for president in 2020, either for attention or because we live in a world where anything is possible in the absolutely worst sense of that phrase. Now one super fan is pushing him another step forward.
CNN reports that a young political consultant named Kenton Tilford formally filed with the Federal Election Commission on Sunday, creating “Run The Rock 2020,” a committee to make The Rock run. Tilford is based in West Virginia, and so far has no official affiliation with Johnson of any kind. CNN couldn’t reach Johnson’s reps for comment.
Tilford says he’s been disappointed in Trump’s failure to unite America, and he believes in Johnson’s ability to appeal to a wider base. In 2000, Johnson did speak at both the Republican National Convention and attended the Democratic National Convention, according to the Hill, though he has said in the past he is an Independent. Though he is both a wonderfully personable and handsome man, Johnson has some notably conservative views and is mega-rich. Regardless, Tilford is on board for whatever The Rock is cooking:
“I’m a fan of The Rock,” he said. “He’s an amazing entertainer and the causes he champions (for example Veterans advocacy) are truly inspiring to me. ... Of course, he doesn’t have the experience in government that has been typical. But I think we’ve seen voters reject the notion that inexperience disqualifies you from serving. His broad, uniting appeal is without parallel in our divided country.”
Tilford does seem to have created the committee largely as a show of support, and it’s unclear how many people are involved. As of now, they only have 48 followers on Twitter. Tilford says the main goal of Run the Rock 2020 is to “build a grassroots community of Americans to show to Mr. Johnson that his incredible popularity as an actor and public figure can translate into politics seamlessly,” adding, “And I hope it influences him to take the plunge and run in 2020.”