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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is facing criticism over comments about his previous endorsement of Joe Biden.

The 51-year-old actor, who backed Mr Biden when he ran for US president in 2020, was asked in an interview with Fox News whether he would do so again during this campaign.

But what did Johnson say and why is he being criticised?

Biden endorsement ’caused division’

Asked by Fox News whether he was happy with his 2020 endorsement and the current state of America, the former wrestler said: “Am I happy with the state of America right now? Well, that answer’s no. Do I believe we’re going to get better? I believe in that. I’m an optimistic guy, and I believe we can get better.”

The actor said his endorsement, which was the first time he had ever publicly supported a presidential candidate, was the “best decision for me at that time”.

“Am I going to do that again this year? That answer’s no. I’m not going to do that,” he said.

He told Fox News he believed it “caused an incredible amount of, division in our country”, which he said “tears me up in my guts back then and now”.

This time, he said, his “goal is to bring our country together”.

“I believe in that, in my DNA,” he added. “So in the spirit of that, there’s going to be no endorsement.”

He said that given his level of influence, “I’m going to keep my politics to myself”.

He added: “I will tell you this, like a lot of us out there, not trusting of all politicians, I do trust the American people and I trust that whoever they vote for… that is my president who I will support 100%.”

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Biden takes aim at Trump

What did Johnson say about cancel culture?

Asked what was important to him, he said: “To be real and to be direct and to be open and to be transparent… that’s important to me.

“In today’s easy cancel culture world and cancel culture, woke culture, this culture, that culture, division, etc, that really bugs me.”

“In the spirit of that, you either succumb and be what you think other people want you to be or you go: ‘Well no, that’s not who I am, I’m going to be myself and I’m going to be real’… and that may get people upset, it may piss people off, and that’s okay.

“But it took me some time to recognise that.”

Johnson said he didn’t realise the power of fame until he “got down the road a little bit”.

He said he later realised fame is “a superpower when used correctly… when you can use it to influence people”, adding it could be used to make people more “direct” and “honest”.

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‘Biden the worst president in US history’

Why is Johnson being criticised?

Many on social media have accused Johnson of playing it too safe for the sake of his public image and wide appeal.

Others have said he could have simply stayed quiet on the matter, rather than announcing he would not be publicly supporting Mr Biden again.

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Some have suggested his comments are an indirect endorsement of Donald Trump, claiming Johnson’s lack of support for Mr Biden benefits Republicans more than Democrats.

Johnson’s comments were booed by the studio audience on chat show The View after a clip of the Fox interview was played.

Sky News has contacted Johnson’s representatives for comment.

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What did Johnson say in 2020?

The actor interviewed Mr Biden and then running mate Kamala Harris ahead of what he called “arguably the most critical election our country has seen in decades”.

In a video shared on his social media accounts, Johnson told his followers that endorsing a candidate “is something that I’ve certainly not done in the past, so I’m going to go big – you guys know me, if I go, I go big!”

“As a registered independent for years now with centrist ideologies, I do feel that vice president Biden and senator Harris are the best choice to lead our country and I am endorsing them to become president and vice president of our United States,” he said at the time.

Johnson talked about political careers of Mr Biden and Ms Harris and said her experience proved she is “smart” and “tough” and a “certified badass”.

The Rock, who said he had voted for both parties in the past, also criticised Donald Trump in 2021, suggesting the then-president was absent in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder.

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Johnson hits out at Donald Trump in aftermath of George Floyd’s death

Could The Rock still run for president himself?

Johnson has long touted the idea of becoming the US president himself, previously saying he would “consider a presidential run in the future if that’s what the people wanted”.

He first made the suggestion in 2017, telling GQ it was “a real possibility” and later revealed he had even considered running in the 2020 election.

Late last year, he said more than one political party had asked him if he was interested in running at the end of 2022.

Asked in his latest interview if he still intended to run, Johnson told Fox News: “As of now – no, that’s not my intention… I’m not a politician. I’m not into politics.

“I care deeply about our country. I’m a patriot… and right now, my desire and my priorities are my babies and school drop-offs and pickups and things like that. That’s important to me.”

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Donald Trump celebrates 100 days in office with campaign-style rally

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Donald Trump celebrates 100 days in office with campaign-style rally

Donald Trump has celebrated the 100th day of his second term with a campaign-style rally in Michigan.

During his 90-minute speech the US president mocked Joe Biden, falsely claimed he won the 2020 presidential election and defended his decision to impose tariffs on countries around the world.

Speaking in front of electronic screens reading “100 days of greatness”, Mr Trump attacked “radical left lunatics”, briefly took on a heckler and boasted about his administration’s “mass deportation” efforts.

“Removing the invaders is not just a campaign pledge,” he said. “It’s my solemn duty as commander-in-chief. I have an obligation to save our country.”

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He played a video of migrants his administration claims are gang members arriving at a notorious prison in El Salvador, with those in the crowd cheering the images of deportees having their heads shaved.

During his speech, during which he called up several of his top team to the stage, Mr Trump claimed his administration has delivered “most profound change in Washington in nearly 100 years”.

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100 days of Donald Trump

Mr Trump also briefly touched on tariffs, saying China, which is facing tariffs of 145%, “has taken more jobs from us than any country has ever taken from another country”.

President Donald Trump arrives to speak after his first 100 days in office.
Pic: AP/Alex Brandon
Image:
Pic: AP

But he said his tariffs did not mean Beijing and Washington cannot “get along” and said he thought a trade deal with China was near, adding: “But it’s going to be a fair deal.”

“I think it’s going to work out,” he says. “They want to make a deal. We’re going to make a deal. But it’s going to be a fair deal.”

Donald Trump. Pic: AP
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Donald Trump speaking in Michigan. Pic: AP

Donald Trump dances at the end of his rally. Pic: Reuters
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Mr Trump dances at the end of his rally. Pic: Reuters

He claimed his administration had “already ended inflation”, but last month the Bureau of Labor Statistics said while inflation slowed in March over the past year, it had in fact risen 2.4%.

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‘You haven’t seen anything yet’

Mr Trump, who has frequently criticised Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell in recent weeks, said: “Interest rates came down, despite the fact that I have a Fed person who’s not really doing a good job, but I won’t say that. I want to be very nice. I want to be very nice and respectful to the Fed.

“You’re not supposed to criticise the Fed. You’re supposed to let him do his own thing. But I know much more than he does about interest rates, believe me.”

Mr Trump also defended his administration’s steep tariffs on cars and car parts, hours after he signed an executive order aimed at easing the impact of his tariffs on US carmakers.

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“We’re here tonight in the heartland of our nation to celebrate the most successful first 100 days of any administration in the history of our country,” Mr Trump said.

He later added: “We’ve just gotten started. You haven’t even seen anything yet.”

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US voters divided over Trump’s first 100 days – 10 out of 10, or a lack of grace and empathy?

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US voters divided over Trump's first 100 days - 10 out of 10, or a lack of grace and empathy?

From the White House these past 100 days, I’ve chronicled the whirlwind that’s reshaping America.

Getting beyond the West Wing and out of Washington has been harder. The volume of news has necessitated a near-constant presence in the US capital.

Every single day, there has been something. Of course, this has been entirely intentional for the president and his team of proud disrupters.

They pledged to govern differently, and on that promise, they have more than delivered.

To fix America, Donald Trump first had to convince people that it is broken. Many didn’t need convincing. Look for decline here and you’ll easily find it; communities left behind.

Look for bureaucracy and waste – you’ll find that too. Common sense silenced by wokism? Many can relate to that. Immigration out of control? Politicians have been struggling with that for decades.

In just 100 days, Mr Trump has harnessed all of that into a package of change that feels like nothing short of a revolution.

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Despite the tsunami of news, my colleagues and I have managed to escape from the White House. And it is there, beyond Washington, that the more subtle but no less profound changes to the fabric of this nation can be felt.

Whether it be innocuous tattoos that might now be associated with gang membership, free speech opinions penned on social media, or the willingness just to chat about politics, one startling thing I have observed these past 100 days is a growing sense of fear.

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Does Trump really ‘run the country and the world?’

A passion for politics

Anyone who has worked as a foreign correspondent in America will tell you that Americans love to give their opinion on politics. And they do it, always, with word-perfect articulation. There is no better place in the world for a ‘voxpop’.

There is a passion for politics that I haven’t seen anywhere else I’ve lived and worked. Until now. Over these past 100 days, I have increasingly found a reticence that reflects an America changed by this president and his style.

I’m in Detroit at the moment, in Michigan, the battleground state that helped to deliver Donald Trump the presidency back in November. I was here back then, too, and recall the enthusiasm with which people would discuss the upcoming election. There was enthusiasm for Trump and enthusiasm for Harris.

An indictment of the times

Now the response to my questions is, so often, “no thanks, I’d rather not”. Sometimes people ask where the report will be seen. “Will it be on in America?” Think about it – this is America. What an indictment of the times, that people fear offering their opinion – whatever side of the aisle they sit.

Very often, it’s businesses that are extremely cautious of being associated with one political view or another. Such is the animosity now between the two sides.

After a day of perseverance in Detroit this week, a few folk did talk to us. Their answers were revealing.

In a park, I met Marie Freeman who said people are now “more angry”. Her view is that America has lost something over these past 100 days.

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“I definitely want us to move forward in a positive, more empathetic way. I think with Trump being such a hardcore president, we lose the empathy, we lose the grace for our fellow neighbours. We’re all so angry because we’re under angry leadership. And that’s not good.”

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She articulated a vibe which I recognise in so many parts of this country right now. A lack of grace and empathy.

Yet, yards away, a couple walking their cats stopped to chat. I asked how they would rate these past 100 days. Two tens out of ten for Trump’s performance.

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Trump ‘very disappointed’ in Russian strikes on Ukraine and calls for Putin to ‘sit down and sign a deal’

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Trump 'very disappointed' in Russian strikes on Ukraine and calls for Putin to 'sit down and sign a deal'

Donald Trump has said he’s “very disappointed” with Russia as he continues to push for a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine.

On Saturday, the US president met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Vatican for their first face-to-face meeting since their explosive White House summit.

The Ukrainian president said the meeting ahead of Pope Francis’s funeral could end up being “historic.” Hours later, Mr Trump questioned Vladimir Putin’s appetite for peace in a Truth Social post.

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From Saturday: Trump meets Zelenskyy at funeral

Speaking before boarding Air Force One on Sunday, Mr Trump again said the meeting went well, and that the Ukrainian leader was “calmer”.

“I think he understands the picture, I think he wants to make a deal,” he said, before turning to Mr Putin and Russia.

“I want him to stop shooting, sit down and sign a deal,” the US president said, adding he was “very disappointed that they did the bombing of those places (including Kyiv, where nine people were killed in a Russian airstrike on Friday) after discussions”.

However, Mr Trump said he thinks Mr Zelenskyy is ready to give up Crimea, which the Ukrainian leader has repeatedly said he would refuse to do.

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He added that “we’ll see what happens in the next few days” and said “don’t talk to me about Crimea, talk to Obama and Biden about Crimea”.

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, while Barack Obama was president.

Meanwhile, US secretary of state Marco Rubio told Sky’s US partner network NBC News that a peace deal to end the war was “closer in general than they’ve been any time in the last three years, but it’s still not there”.

“If this was an easy war to end, it would have been ended by someone else a long time ago,” he added on the Meet the Press show.

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It comes after North Korea confirmed it had deployed troops to fight for Russia, months after Ukraine and Western officials said its forces were in Europe.

State media outlet KCNA reported North Korean soldiers made an “important contribution” to expelling Ukrainian forces from Russian territory, likely to be the Kursk region.

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KCNA said leader Kim Jong Un made the decision to deploy troops to Russia and notified Moscow, and quoted him as saying: “They who fought for justice are all heroes and representatives of the honour of the motherland.”

It also quoted the country’s ruling Workers’ Party as saying the end of the battle to liberate Kursk showed the “highest strategic level of the firm militant friendship” between North Korea and Russia.

Last June, Mr Kim and Mr Putin signed a comprehensive strategic partnership treaty after a state visit – his first to the country in 24 years.

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From June 2024: Putin drives Kim around in luxury limo during state visit

The North Korean leader promised at the time “full support and solidarity to the Russian government, army and people in carrying out the special military operation in Ukraine”.

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