Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is making it clear he’s taking a different approach to politics after previously facing backlash over his endorsement of former President Joe Biden. In a candid new interview, the actor and former wrestling star explained why he now plans to keep his political beliefs private, admitting he has grown frustrated with the divisive nature of modern political discourse.

Dwayne Johnson Says He’s Keeping Politics Private

Reflecting on lessons learned over the years with Esquire for the magazine’s Summer Issue cover story, Johnson said he has shifted his focus away from political endorsements and toward what matters most to him: storytelling.

“What I have learned through experience is that I need to keep, need, not want, the main thing the main thing,” Johnson said. “And the main thing for me, the thing that in the morning I swing my legs out of bed, and I run towards, is creating. It’s art. It’s storytelling. I’ve learned I’m going to keep my politics to myself.”

The Rock Gets Candid About Political Division

Johnson admitted he has grown increasingly frustrated with the negativity surrounding political conversations. “Politics is omnipresent, and it’s forever,” he said. “I don’t like it. I hate it at times. I hate the slinging. I hate all the bullsh-t that comes with it.”

The “Moana” actor added that while he remains open to difficult conversations, he believes dialogue matters more than division. “There are moments when, ‘Hey, there’s nothing we can’t talk about. If I’m wrong, I’ll tell you I’m wrong. Or if I feel like I got a leg up and this is the right way to go, I’ll share it with you,’” Johnson said.

Dwayne Johnson Reacts To Bruce Springsteen’s Trump Criticism

Johnson’s comments came after he was asked about Bruce Springsteen’s recent criticism of President Donald Trump during his “Land of Hope and Dreams Tour.” Rather than choosing sides, Johnson suggested he would rather see the two men sit down and talk.

“Because when I hear you talk about Springsteen, who I love, and this idea that he’s speaking directly to Trump in his concerts, my first thought as you were telling me that, in my head, I went, ‘Oh, then why don’t they talk? They should sit down and talk,’” Johnson said. “I don’t know where that goes, but I do know that’s an important step.”

Why Johnson Won’t Endorse Political Candidates Again

Johnson, who identifies as an Independent, famously endorsed Biden during the 2020 election, the first political endorsement of his career. However, during a 2024 appearance on “Fox & Friends,” Johnson revealed he regretted the division he felt followed the endorsement and confirmed he would not back a candidate in the 2024 presidential race.

“The endorsement that I made years ago with Biden was what I thought was the best decision for me at that time,” Johnson explained. “Am I going to do that again this year? That answer’s no. I’m not going to do that.”

According to Johnson, the reaction to his endorsement weighed heavily on him. “Because what I realized that what that caused back then was something that tears me up in my guts back then and now, which is division. And that got me,” he admitted. “The takeaway after that months and months and months, I started to realize like, ‘Oh man, that caused an incredible amount of division in our country.’”

“So I realize now going into this election, I’m not going to do that,” Johnson continued. “I wouldn’t do that because my goal is to bring our country together.”

Dwayne Johnson Previously Addressed Trump Assassination Attempt And Cancel Culture

Johnson has continued to weigh in occasionally on national conversations, including publicly condemning the July 2024 assassination attempt against Trump. “Whether you love Donald, don’t love Donald, it doesn’t matter. They tried to assassinate him. There’s no room for that,” Johnson said during a keynote appearance at The Value Conference in September 2024.

He also praised Trump’s reaction following the incident. “So him standing up at that moment, we wanted to see that,” Johnson said.

Elsewhere, Johnson admitted he has grown increasingly frustrated with cancel culture and political polarization. “To be real and to be direct and to be open and to be transparent….that’s important to me,” he said. “In today’s easy cancel culture world and cancel culture, woke culture, this culture, that culture division, etc., that really bugs me.”