The Biden-Harris campaign was the first to get Dwayne Johnson’s first public political endorsement. Now the former wrestler is celebrating their win in an Instagram post reflecting on what his “vote represented” and why he’s “not turning my back” on anyone who feels differently.
The actor, who described himself as a “political independent and centrist” in his Sept. 27 post endorsing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, returned to social media on Sunday to call for unity following the former vice president officially being declared victorious the day before.
“My vote represented my little girls,” the father of three daughters shared. “It also represented humanity, decency [and] principles and values [wife Lauren Hashian] and I instill in our little daughters. And finally, my vote represented the importance of just being a decent human being. And to me, being a decent human being matters.”
But Johnson, who has previously fielded calls from fans to run for political office himself, acknowledged that the country has a sharp political divide — one that he personally intends to push past by standing by those who don’t share his beliefs.
“This win feels so good, but now the real work begins,” he continued. “Because we have an entire country divided. I’m not turning my back on you just because we have a difference of opinion. I’m not made that way. I’m still right here and when the sun comes up, we all get up with it — go to work, feed our families and pay our bills.
“Congratulations to President-elect @joebiden and Vice President-elect @kamalaharris and to all our American people for engaging in the biggest voter turnout our country has ever seen.
“Stand tall, lay it all on the line and cheers to UNITY and finding common ground. Let’s get to work.”
The post also included a video in which the Jumanji star — wearing an American flag workout shirt from his Under Armour line, congratulated Biden, remarked on Harris’s historic new role — “as a man of color and a man who loves and respects women, this is pretty special,” he said — and celebrated the U.S. reaching record voter turnout.
Johnson added that news of the Biden-Harris victory had made him a “little emotional.”
“I cried a tear or two — or 10,” he said. “But they were all very manly. All my tears are manly.”
Again, he reached out to those who aren’t celebrating the election news.
“I acknowledge your disappointment; I acknowledge your pain,” he said. “We’ve all been there. We have fought for things we’ve believed in with our heart and our passion and our guts, and we lose. It doesn’t feel good and I want you to know that I’m still here. And I’m not turning my back on you just because we have a difference of opinion, just because you voted for somebody else. No, I’m still right here. And I’m still right here for you. We’ve still got this relationship and I’m going to make sure that I continue to do everything that I can possibly do to make sure that we’re all working together as a unified front. Unity.”
He also addressed Biden and Harris supporters who are happy at their win, but feeling “so pissed and resentful” at the “years of hate, and bigotry, and racism, and anger, and fear tactics, and intimidation.”
Johnson said he could relate, as he recounted the “s***storm of anger, of hate, of insults, of creating these lies” — he was received after making his Biden-Harris endorsement. But, he added, “to be honest with you, it just made me stand taller.”
The star wrapped up video message by bringing out a bottle of his Teremana tequila for toast to “you — all of you, by the way, whoever you voted for, doesn’t matter,” as well as “your families,” “our great country” and “to unity and finding common ground.”
Source: YahooNews
