Glenn Jacobs, the former WWE star once known as Kane and who now serves as mayor of Knox County, Tennessee, says he would tell Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson: don't get into politics.
In a recent appearance on "Going Ringside," Jacobs was asked about the prospect of Johnson – a fellow WWE icon as well as Hollywood A-lister, and TKO board member – venturing into politics.
"If I'm him, I wouldn't. Politics is incredibly contentious and toxic right now," Jacobs stated. "Everybody likes Dwayne, no matter where you are on the political spectrum, because he's a great entertainer, and he's a good guy."
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For years, there have been rumors that Johnson is considering a move into politics. Last year, he confirmed that multiple political parties had approached him about running for U.S. president, following a poll that showed 46% of Americans would support his candidacy.
"That was an interesting poll that happened and I was really moved by that," Johnson said. "I'll share this little bit with you: at the end of the year in 2022, I got a visit from the parties asking me if I was going to run and if I could run...It was all very surreal because that's never been my goal. My goal has never been to be in politics. As a matter of fact, there's a lot about politics that I hate."
Despite his claims, Johnson has previously said that he "can't deny that the thought of being governor, the thought of being president, is alluring" and that the (then-future) 2024 presidential election was a possibility, at least in the abstract.
However, a WWE Hall of Famer wants him to sidestep that possibility. Jacobs, best known as Kane, enjoyed a long wrestling career. After debuting in 1997, he won the WWE Championship (1x), World Heavyweight Championship (1x), and multiple Tag Team Championships. Kane is also a two-time Intercontinental Champion and a winner of the 2001 Royal Rumble. Known for his sinister, masked persona and as The Undertaker's brother, Kane became a cornerstone of WWE's storytelling for decades.
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Now, the politician says that Johnson will basically destroy his fanbase by entering politics.
"[You've] got to remember that no matter what you say in politics, 50% of the people are just going to knee-jerk disagree with you," Jacobs said. "You're going to really tick some folks off. I've had to deal with that, obviously. If I were him, I would advise him not to do that, personally."
We may see the Rock in the White House someday, but Kane just can't support it.
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