Dwayne Johnson has questioned US President Donald Trump's decision to use force against protesters. Photo / Instagram / Getty
Dwayne Johnson has questioned US President Donald Trump's decision to use force against protesters. Photo / Instagram / Getty
You might know him from Hollywood blockbuster films or his professional wrestling days, but Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is now the third-most backed candidate to become the next US President.
The actor was added to the election market by bookmakers after he delivered a powerful Black Lives Matter speech while condemning Donald Trump on social media.
According to Oddschecker, the 48-year-old has received 3.34 per cent of all bets since he was added to the list, putting him behind Trump on 51 per cent, and Joe Biden on 35.
However, don't get too excited, because the former WWE legend has ruled himself out of the 2020 US Presidential race.
Despite this, he still has a 0.2 per cent chance of winning, according to bookmakers.
Johnson had to previously dispel rumours about a presidential run in the past.
Dwayne Johnson has questioned US President Donald Trump's decision to use force against protesters. Photo / Instagram / Getty
Last week, the American actor shared an eight-minute-long video to his 185 million followers after African-American man George Floyd died at the hands of police.
"Where is our leader? Where are you? Where is our leader at this time, when our country is down on its knees, begging, pleading, hurt, angry, frustrated, in pain, begging and pleading with its arms out just wanting to be heard?" Johnson asks Trump in the emotional video.
"Where is our compassionate leader who is going to step up to our country who is down on its knees and extend a hand and say, 'You stand up. Stand up with me. Stand up with me, because I've got you. I've got you. I've 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, 'til my dying day, to my last breath to do everything I can to create the change that's needed, to normalise equality, because black lives matter.'"
Johnson said he believed that the President's call to deploy the military to crack down on rioters wouldn't have happened if he showed empathy.
"There is military force that has been deployed on our own people. Looters? Yes. Criminals? Absolutely," he said.
Dwayne Johnson has thrown his support behind the Black Lives Matter movement. Photo / Police / Instagram
"But our protesters who are begging and pleading, our protesters who are in pain ... You know you would be surprised how people in pain would respond when you say to them, 'I care about you'.
"When you say to them, 'I'm listening to you'. You'd be surprised how people would respond – how Americans would respond.
"So, as we continue to wait for that leader to emerge ... I would recommend to all of you that we must become the leaders we're looking for. We can become our own leaders, because we're doing it now.
"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. You guys stay strong. We've got this."
