Fact Check: Did 'The Rock' say that he wants to run for the Governor of Minnesota?

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: A claim has been circulating on social media that wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson, also known as ‘The Rock,’ has expressed interest in running for Governor of Minnesota. The rumor has also sparked speculations, with many questioning the authenticity of the claim. Let us examine the rumor and fact-check the claim.

Claim: The Rock wants to run for Governor of Minnesota

The claim surfaced in a post on X on Sunday, January 25, on a popular page called Hoops Crave, which cames with a quote attributed to him.

It contained an image of Johnson, accompanied by the caption saying, “The Rock wants to run for Governor of Minnesota: ‘I’m the people’s champ and the people of Minnesota need me.’”

The post has garnered more than 15000 views with hundreds of likes and comments. 

Fact Check: The rumor originated as a satire

The claim, however, is false, as Hoops Crave, the page that posted the claim, is a parody account known for sharing satirical posts for entertainment purposes. The page’s bio states, "Parody account not affiliated with @PopCrave."

A Google search for relevant keywords also did not offer any results that supported the claim.

If the claim were true, it would have been widely reported by major news media outlets. 

A fact check by Grok, the AI assistant of X, has also confirmed the claim to be false, stating, “This claim is from a parody account. No credible sources, including recent news or election records, confirm Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is running for Minnesota Governor in 2026. The listed candidates don't include him.”

The Rock's interest in running for the president

Although the rumors are false, the wrestler-turned-actor has expressed interest in entering politics. In 2012, during an interview, he stated, “Right now, the best way that I can impact the world is through entertainment. One day, and that day will come, I can impact the world through politics."

In 2016, the BBC reported that The Rock is considering running for the president, where he once said on Twitter that he was certain the White House would have space for him to park his pick-up truck.

In 2024, Johnson revealed that multiple political parties approached him last year to see if he would run for US president, after a poll revealed 46% of Americans would support his campaign.