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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Andrew Pulver

Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson endorses Joe Biden in US presidential election

‘Progress takes courage’ ... Dwayne Johnson on Instagram.
‘Progress takes courage’ ... Dwayne Johnson on social media. Photograph: Instagram @therock/Reuters

Dwayne Johnson has come out in support of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the US presidential election, with the self-proclaimed “registered independent with centrist ideologies” saying they are “the best choice to lead our country”.

Johnson posted his statement on Instagram and Twitter on Sunday, which he said was his first public presidential endorsement, adding: “Progress takes courage, humanity, empathy, strength, KINDNESS & RESPECT.”

His post also contained a video of his conversation with Biden and Harris. In it, he asked them how they would earn the country’s respect. Biden answered: “By keeping our word. By levelling with the American people. By taking responsibility … That sounds so basic, but the American people are strong, they’re tough. They can take anything if you level with them and tell the truth.” Harris added: “Truth can sometimes be really difficult to hear, and for that reason sometimes people don’t speak it. But you cannot have trust if you don’t speak the truth.”

Johnson posted a second video in which he discussed concerns around the voting process. Describing the forthcoming election as “uniquely critical”, Johnson advocated that election day should be a federal holiday, while Biden revealed that the Democrats have created what he described as “the largest group of lawyers that has ever been assembled in a presidential election” to combat Trump’s “attempt to de-legitimise the vote”.

Johnson closed his message with a quote from the late supreme court associate justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg: “Real and enduring change happens one step at a time.”

While this is the Fast & Furious star’s first intervention in the current election cycle, he has come out in opposition to Trump before, posting a speech about the Black Lives Matters protests in June.

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