Hollywood actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson caused an uproar in Washington, DC after he was seen rubbing shoulders with lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
The legendary wrestler caused a stir on Wednesday when he met with Senate officials to discuss military recruitment.
However, his appearance caused further excitement over a possible White House bid after the actor revealed last week that political parties would be making a bid in 2022.
However, Johnson remained tight-lipped about a possible campaign and declined to answer reporters’ questions about whether he was thinking about running.
He and XFL business partner Dany Garcia were on the Hill to meet with several senators, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was spotted on Capitol Hill on Wednesday after meeting with senators about military recruitment
The legendary Hollywood actor met with Senator Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (pictured) in Washington, DC on Wednesday.
The Rock and Chuck Schumer
“Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?” someone shouted.
“Are you running for president?” said another reporter. pic.twitter.com/cPeRe9jZDo
— Ben Siegel (@bensiegel) November 15, 2023
They discussed the “Fast and Furious” star’s efforts to help recruit military personnel and his XFL football league, NBC reports.
Senator Jon Tester, who arranged the sit-in, told the outlet that Johnson “will advocate for people to join the military for an extended period of time.”
“He has an incredible fan base, perhaps the largest,” he added.
Senator Susan Collins admitted that she “took as many pictures with him as I could.”
“I’m really happy that he’s helping with military recruiting,” she said. “I think he’s a strong influencer.”
The group Johnson met also included Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Todd Young (R-IN), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).
In addition to military recruiting, the film producer spoke to representatives about the XFL, which he purchased with RedBird Capital in 2020.
A video shot from inside the Capitol showed the Rock posing for photos with stranded fans.
Johnson attended the meeting with the Senators along with the CEO of the XFL, the football league he purchased in 2020
Johnson’s visit caused a stir and reignited enthusiasm for a possible White House bid, which first began when the actor revealed he had been approached by political parties about a campaign
Johnson also met with Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Susan Collins (R-ME), Todd Young (R-IN), and Lindsey Graham ( R-SC) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
Another clip showed excited staffers filming as he left the Capitol on Wednesday afternoon.
The chaos continued outside as the 51-year-old stopped to greet Capitol Police and other staff members who had come to see him.
Johnson revealed on Trevor Noah’s “What Now” podcast last week that he has been inundated with applications to run.
‘At the end of the year . . . “In 2022, I got visits from the parties asking me if I would run and if I could run,” Johnson said. “It was a big deal. And it came out of the blue. And it was one thing after another.’
He shared on Jimmy Fallon’s show that the prospect had been floating around for several years.
“This presidential candidacy discussion has been in limbo for a few years, and it never ceases to be surreal,” he said.
The 51-year-old refused to answer when reporters asked him if he was keeping an eye on the White House
Johnson had previously said that the idea of him running for president had been floating around for several years and that he had given it serious consideration
The father of three said he is unlikely to run for president because it would take up time for his children
He also pointed to a poll that showed “nearly 50 percent of Americans would support my candidacy for president,” he added. “It was just crazy.”
However, he indicated that he did not want to take a position that would interfere with his time with his three children, aged 22, seven and five.
Johnson’s visit came after it emerged that the Army, Navy and Air Force had failed to meet their recruiting goals at the end of the last fiscal year.
This occurred despite the army attracting 50,000 recruits, 15,000 fewer than its goal.