Dwayne Johnson calls out Trump in powerful speech amid Floyd protests: 'Where is our leader?'
Dwayne Johnson is calling out Donald Trump over his lack of leadership amid the protests over George Floyd’s death and racial injustice.
“Where are you?” the movie star and megaproducer, better known as the The Rock, asked in a video posted to Instagram. “Where is our leader? Where is our leader at this time when our country is down on its knees, begging, pleading, hurt, angry, frustrated, in pain with its arms out, just wanting to be heard?”
The nearly 9-minute video is the star’s most political comments to date. He didn’t call out Trump by name, but there was no mistake who he was addressing when calling for “compassionate leader to step up to our country” as protests take place across the country demanding racial equality after George Floyd died in police custody last week, resulting in four police officers being charged with his death.
Johnson said the leader we need is the one who says, “‘You stand up, stand up with me because I got you. I hear you, I’m listening to you. And you have my word that I’m going to do everything in my power, until my dying day, my last breath, to do everything I can to create the change that is needed, to normalize equality because black lives matter.’”
Johnson also addressed those “all lives matter” commenters, saying, "Of course all lives matter. Every single one. All lives matter because we, as Americans, we believe in inclusivity, we believe in acceptance, we believe in human rights. We believe in equality for all. So of course, all lives matter, but in this moment right now, this defining, pivotal, explosive moment where our country is down on its knees…We must say the words: Black lives matter.”
The star said as “we continue to wait for that leader to emerge, I recommended to all of you that we must become the leaders we’re looking for. We become our own leaders — because we’re doing it now.” He said he was taking a stand on behalf of his own family.
The powerful speech ended by addressing Trump, who has been criticized for mishandling the situation, again — and saying that change will happen with or without the current administration.
“I’ll ask it one more time: Where are you?” he said. “Where is that compassionate leader who steps up and takes accountability for his country and all the people in our country? Where are you? I’ll tell you what, we’re here. We’re all here. And the process to change has already begun. You can feel it — you can feel it across our country. Change is happening. It’s going to take time. We’re going to get beat up. We’re going to take our lumps. There’s going to be blood, but the process of change has already begun.”
Johnson has long been asked about his own political aspirations — while his personal politics have remained pretty mysterious. He has said that running for president “is a real possibility,” but he also said not in 2020.
Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
