Dwayne Johnson onstage during the 89th Annual Academy Awards, February 26, 2017.
Kevin Winter
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Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's presidential bid started off as a joke, but the possibility of the actor running for office is becoming more and more of a real thing. A new poll, conducted by Public Policy Polling, found that Johnson leads Trump by a wide margin in a prospective presidential contest.
If Johnson were to run as a Democrat, he would lead Trump 42/37 and wins over 15 percent of people who voted for Trump last fall, according to the national poll. Additionally, 36 percent of voters see Johnson favorably compared to 13 percent who hold a negative view. While 50 percent of voters polled had no opinion on Johnson either way, Democrats (38/15 and Republicans (31/17) both see him in a positive light.
Johnson discussed a potential presidential run in a recent GQ Magazine profile, explaining that he started to think more seriously about running after seeing the "earnestness" of the suggestions.
GQ's Caity Weaver writes: “So, after all that consideration, Johnson doesn’t hesitate when I ask him whether he honestly might one day give up his life as the highest-paid movie star on earth — which is unquestionably easier, more fun, and more lucrative than being president of the United States — in order to run for office. ‘I think that it’s a real possibility,’ he says solemnly.”