In an early April 2024, segment, some of the co-hosts on ABC\u2019s \u201cThe View,\u201d particularly far-left Joy Behar, went on the attack against WWE personality and actor Dwayne \u201cThe Rock\u201d Johnson after he said that he wouldn\u2019t endorse Joe Biden again in the 2024 election because of how badly things have gone under his watch.<\/p>\n
As background, during an early April interview with Fox News Channel\u2019s Will Cain on \u201cFox & Friends,\u201d Johnson indicated that he regrets endorsing Biden in 2020 and said that he won\u2019t do so again in this election cycle. Beginning, he told Cain, \u201cAm I happy with the state of America right now? Well, that answer\u2019s no. Do I believe we\u2019re gonna get better? I believe in that. I\u2019m an optimistic guy. And I believe we can get better.\u201d
\nContinuing, Johnson said, \u201cThe endorsement that I made years ago with Biden was what I thought was the best decision for me at that time. And I thought back then, when we talked about, hey, you know, I\u2019m in this position where I have some influence, and it\u2019s my job then I felt like that then it\u2019s my job now to exercise my influence and share with this is who I\u2019m going to endorse. Am I going to do that again this year? That answer\u2019s no.\u201dPredictably, the far-left co-hosts on \u201cThe View\u201d were furious about that. After the show played the clip of Johnson saying he wouldn\u2019t endorse Biden again, the audience loudly booed Johnson. When the audience quieted down, Behar then said that no one should listen to him because he spoke to Fox News and that she thinks celebrities should stay quiet about politics.<\/p>\n
Pushing back somewhat on that was Anna Navarro, who argued that actors don\u2019t lose their rights as citizens, such as the right to speak out about politics, just because they\u2019re popular. She added that Johnson has generally been known for supporting voting generally, rather than for supporting any one party or candidate in particular.<\/p>\n
After Behar\u2019s comments and Navarro\u2019s slight pushback, similarly leftist co-host Sunny Hostin went on the attack against Johnson, saying that Trump is an \u201cexistential threat to democracy\u201d and so someone with a large following and platform, such as The Rock, have an \u201cobligation\u201d to be active in the political process and use that platform to speak out against former President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
Beginning, she said, \u201cI do think we\u2019re living in a time where we have someone running for president that is an existential threat to democracy, right? That is where we are at, someone who has been \u2014 has 88, you know, criminal charges, four indictments, someone that has vowed to be a dictator on the very first day he takes office.\u201d<\/p>\n
Continuing, she claimed that those with platforms have an obligation to use them against Trump, saying, \u201cNow is the time if you have a platform, you must be active. You must speak out. That\u2019s how I feel, and I generally don\u2019t \u2014 I generally don\u2019t think that celebrities should be forced to be politically active. But right now, if you have a platform, you have an obligation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pushing back somewhat, Alyssa Farrah Griffin said, \u201cI don\u2019t know that The Rock has a core constituency, it\u2019s not like Republicans or Democrats are waiting to hear what he said.\u201d She added, \u201cThe most important thing he can do is encourage those to get out and vote.\u201d<\/p>\n
Watch them here:<\/p>\n\n\n