After a week of addressing speculation that he might challenge Donald Trump for the presidency in 2020, actor Dwayne Johnson went ahead and made it official in his monologue during the 42nd season finale of Saturday Night Live.
Well, sort of.
The Baywatch star and former wrestler welcomed fellow five-time SNL host Tom Hanks to the stage during his monologue, where the two jokingly revealed their plans to share a ticket in 2020, with Johnson quipping that he was perhaps “too qualified” for the job.
“Together, we would get 100 percent of the vote. I would get the senior vote, because I fought in World War II… in like ten different movies,” Hanks joked.
“And I of course would get the minority vote,” added Johnson. “Because everyone just assumes, I’m, well, whatever they are.”
Hanks and Johnson then practiced looking directly into the camera to reassure Americans during times of crisis, with Johnson promising he would remain poised if an earthquake threatened to separate California from the rest of the country, a reference to his role in the 2015 disaster film San Andreas.
“Dammit, if I don’t get down to that fault line and detonate the warhead the entire state is going to sink,” Johnson deadpanned. “Fuel up the submarine and tell the Secret Service to pack my trunks. The president’s going for a swim.”
Johnson then revealed that the pair’s White House ambitions were a joke, before adding in a shot at Trump without mentioning his name.
“When it comes to politics, we need more poise and less noise. Americans deserve strong capable leaders, leaders who care about this country and care about its people,” he said.
Johnson revealed his political aspirations in an interview with GQ this month, telling the magazine he saw a run for the presidency as a “real possibility.”
“A year ago, it started coming up more and more,” the actor — known as The Rock in his wresting days — told the outlet. “There was a real sense of earnestness, which made me go home and think ‘Let me really rethink my answer and make sure I am giving an answer that is truthful and also respectful.’”
Johnson fueled speculation about his future plans in subsequent appearances on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and on Good Morning America this week. The actor said he believes being president is within his “skill set.”
Saturday night’s show capped the 42nd season of Saturday Night Live and marked the final show for departing longtime cast members Bobby Moynihan and Vanessa Bayer.
Watch Johnson’s monologue above.
Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter: @dznussbaum
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