What did Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson say about Joe Biden and the US election in Fox News interview?

Published

1 year ago

April 8, 2024

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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%.”

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”.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

US

Trump seeking to ‘manufacture a crisis’ in Chicago, says Illinois governor

Published

1 hour ago

August 24, 2025

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Trump seeking to 'manufacture a crisis' in Chicago, says Illinois governor

The governor of Illinois has accused Donald Trump of “attempting to manufacture a crisis” over reports the US president was considering deploying the military in the state.

US newspaper The Washington Post reported on Saturday that the Pentagon was drafting plans to deploy the US army in Chicago, the state capital.

It comes as part of Mr Trump’s crackdown on crime, homelessness, and illegal immigration in mainly Democrat-run cities. He recently deployed the National Guard in Washington DC.

In a statement responding to the report, governor JB Pritzker said Illinois had “received no requests or outreach from the federal government asking if we need assistance, and we have made no requests for federal intervention”.

He added: “The safety of the people of Illinois is always my top priority.

“There is no emergency that warrants the President of the United States federalising the Illinois National Guard, deploying the National Guard from other states, or sending active duty military within our own borders.”

The governor then said: “Donald Trump is attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicise Americans who serve in uniform, and continue abusing his power to distract from the pain he is causing working families.

“We will continue to follow the law, stand up for the sovereignty of our state, and protect the people of Illinois.”

Officials familiar with the proposals told the Post that several options were being weighed up by the US defence department, including mobilising thousands of National Guard troops in Chicago as early as September.

The Pentagon said it would not comment on planned operations, adding: “The department is a planning organisation and is continuously working with other agency partners on plans to protect federal assets and personnel.”

Mr Trump, however, told reporters on Friday that “Chicago is a mess,” before attacking the city’s mayor Brandon Johnson and hinting “we’ll straighten that one out probably next”.

Mr Johnson has not yet commented on Saturday’s reports, but said on Friday that the president’s approach to tackling crime has been “uncoordinated, uncalled for and unsound”.

“There are many things the federal government could do to help us reduce crime and violence in Chicago, but sending in the military is not one of them,” he added.

It comes after around 800 National Guard troops were deployed in Washington DC earlier this month, despite the US capital’s mayor revealing crime in the capital was at its “lowest level in 30 years”.

According to preliminary figures from Washington DC’s Metropolitan Police, violent crime is down 26% in 2025 – after dropping 35% in 2024 compared with 2023.

In June Mr Trump ordered 700 US Army marines and 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles in California, during protests over mass immigration raids.

The deployment came against the wishes of state governor Gavin Newsom, who said: “The federal government is sowing chaos so they can have an excuse to escalate.

“That is not the way any civilised country behaves.”

US

Ghislaine Maxwell was given ‘platform to rewrite history’, say Virginia Giuffre’s family

Published

4 hours ago

August 24, 2025

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Ghislaine Maxwell was given 'platform to rewrite history', say Virginia Giuffre's family

The family of Virginia Giuffre, who was one of Jeffrey Epstein’s most prominent sex trafficking accusers, have said they are “outraged” over the US Department of Justice’s release of an interview with Ghislaine Maxwell.

Maxwell – a convicted sex trafficker and ex-girlfriend of the deceased paedophile financier Epstein – refuted several claims of child sex trafficking and abuse during the two-day-long interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in July.

Reacting after the transcripts of the interview were released on Friday, Ms Giuffre’s family said it gave Maxwell the “platform to rewrite history” and showed she was “never challenged about her court-proven lies”.

“As the family of one of the most prominent survivors, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, we are outraged,” they said in a statement.

“The content of these transcripts is in direct contradiction with felon Ghislaine Maxwell’s conviction for child sex trafficking.”

Ms Giuffre’s family added: “This travesty of justice entirely invalidates the experiences of the many brave survivors who put their safety, security, and lives on the line to ensure her conviction, including our sister.”

Referencing Maxwell’s move to a minimum-security facility in Texas earlier this month, they said it “sends a disturbing message that child sex trafficking is acceptable and will be rewarded”.

“We continue to call upon the DOJ (Department of Justice) to do its job by investigating and holding accountable the many rich and powerful people who enabled Ghislaine Maxwell’s and Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes,” they concluded.

Ms Giuffre, who died by suicide in April, had previously claimed that Maxwell introduced her to Epstein and hired her as his masseuse, before she was sex trafficked and sexually abused by him and associates around the world.

She sued Prince Andrew for sexual abuse in August 2021 – saying he had sex with her when she was 17 and had been trafficked by Epstein.

The duke has repeatedly denied the claims, and he has not been charged with any criminal offences.

In March 2022, it was announced Ms Giuffre and Andrew had reached an out-of-court settlement – believed to include a “substantial donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights”.

During her interview with Mr Blanche last month, Maxwell said Ms Giuffre’s allegation against the duke “doesn’t hold water”, and denied ever introducing Epstein to him or Sarah Ferguson.

She insisted Epstein and Andrew met separately, and said “I think Sarah [Ferguson] is the one that pushed that”, before saying that allegations Andrew had sex with Ms Giuffre were untrue, as she was at her mother’s 80th birthday celebrations in the countryside outside the city.

Maxwell then claimed Ms Giuffre’s allegation that she and Andrew had sexual contact in the bathroom of her London flat was not true, as the room was not big enough.

She also claimed that an image of her standing alongside Andrew with his arm around Ms Giuffre’s waist was “literally a fake photo”.

During the interview with Mr Blanche, Maxwell denied ever seeing US President Donald Trump in an “inappropriate setting” and insisted she was not aware of any Epstein ‘client list’.

Under growing pressure to release files related to Epstein, as he promised to do during his 2024 presidential campaign, Mr Trump has made a series of denials and claims about the paedophile financier.

In July, the president told reporters on Air Force One that Epstein “stole” Ms Giuffre and other young women from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Mr Trump has also floated a pardon for Maxwell, saying earlier this month that “nobody” had asked to but insisted that he has “the right to do it”.

“I’m allowed to do it, but nobody’s asked me to do it. I know nothing about it,” he added. “I don’t know anything about the case, but I know I have the right to do it.

“I have the right to give pardons, I’ve given pardons to people before, but nobody’s even asked me to do it.”

Maxwell was sentenced in the US in June 2022 to 20 years in prison following her conviction on five counts of sex trafficking for luring young girls to massage rooms for Epstein to abuse. She has asked the US Supreme Court to overturn her conviction.

Epstein, 66, was found dead in his cell at a Manhattan federal jail in August 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.

His case has generated endless attention and conspiracy theories due to his and Maxwell’s links to famous people like royals, presidents and billionaires, including Mr Trump.

No one other than Epstein and Maxwell has been charged with any criminal offences.

US

Names released of five killed in Niagara Falls tour bus crash

Published

4 hours ago

August 24, 2025

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Names released of five killed in Niagara Falls tour bus crash

The five people who died after a tour bus returning to New York City from Niagara Falls crashed have been named.

The bus, with 54 passengers on board, crashed and rolled on Interstate 90 near Pembroke, about 30 miles (48km) east of Buffalo, New York, at around 12.30pm (5.30pm UK time) on Friday.

In an update on Saturday, New York State Police said that those who died were identified as:
• Shankar Kumar Jha, 65, of Madhu Bani, India;
• Pinki Changrani, 60, of East Brunswick, New Jersey;
• Zhang Xiaolan, 55 of Jersey City, New Jersey;
• Jian Mingli, 56, of Jersey City;
• Xie Hongzhuo, a 22-year-old student at Columbia University, from Beijing, China.

After the student was named, Columbia University said in a statement that the faculty was “devastated”.

“This heartbreaking loss is felt deeply across our community,” it added. “We are in close contact with her family and offering them our full support.

“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with her family, friends, and all who have been touched by this tragedy.”

Erie County Medical Center, where 21 passengers were hospitalised for injuries, said that as of Saturday afternoon, 14 patients are in stable condition but remain at the hospital.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash, which did not involve any other vehicles. The driver had not been charged in connection with the incident as of Friday.

State police major Andre Ray said in a news conference that the driver had become distracted, lost control and overcorrected before the bus went into the right shoulder and flipped over.

“An absolute tragedy took place,” he added. “And first and foremost, our thoughts, prayers and hearts go out to those involved, their friends and their families.”

Mr Ray added that a preliminary investigation had ruled out mechanical failure or driver impairment, and that the driver survived the crash and was cooperating with police.