Dwayne Johnson’s Political Cowardice Called Out by Star Trek Legend

Dwayne Johnson has been many things in his long career, but cowardly is not a word that one would often associate with the former wrestler and actor. That is exactly what he has been branded in an unexpected exchange online after telling Esquire magazine that he intends to keep his political opinions to himself in the future to avoid causing division among his fans.

While it seemed at one point that Johnson could follow Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan in transitioning from Hollywood lights to political scrutiny, The Rock is apparently wanting to hide under one in future when it comes to sharing his personal views on White House matters. This is something that did not pass by Star Trek icon and frequent Trump critic George Takei.

As part of his current press tour promoting Disney’s live-action Moana, in which he gets to fully embody the role of Maui once again, Johnson told Esquire he intends to keep his political views private from now on. The reason for his decision follows his endorsement of Joe Biden in the 2020 election, which resulted in his fanbase being deeply divided about his decision. However, his latest stance has not fared much better with Takei commenting on Johnson’s post with the stinging jab that “silence is complicity.”

The interview that has kicked off this round of debate on Johnson’s take on politics was Esquire‘s Summer 2026 cover interview, published June 11, in which the 54-year-old explained his retreat from public politics. “I’ve learned I’m going to keep my politics to myself,” he said, adding that he would be keeping “the main thing the main thing” from now on. Although he made it clear that political matters have become “omnipresent” in the world, he does not like “the slinging” that brings with it. One point of reference for Johnson was Bruce Springsteen, who has never shied away from showing his anger and distaste for the Trump administration – he even wrote a song directly naming Trump following the Minneapolis shootings at the beginning of the year and opened his latest tour with a speech that did not hold back in criticizing the president.

George Takei Did Not Let Dwayne Johnson Off the Hook

Although Johnson’s interview went unnoticed for weeks, it came back to the public’s attention thanks to Takei, who has himself been a lifelong activist and one of the most prominent critics of the Trump administration. After sharing the interview on Threads, Takei pointed out that in changing his stance to, essentially, not displease any Trump supporters, is only serving to alienate his Democrat following.

In response to Takei’s comments, fellow Star Trek alum and Stand by Me star Wil Wheaton added: “So disappointing to find out he is such a coward,” although he later deleted the post – an irony in itself. Plenty of others echoed the sentiment, arguing that a figure with Johnson’s reach and influence remaining neutral is massively disappointing considering his previous allegiances.

Dwayne Johnson Is Trying to Distance Himself From Politics

In 2020, Johnson made his first-ever presidential endorsement with a very public backing of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, before teasing his own possible presidential ambitions just a year later. In 2024, Johnson began to backtrack, saying he would never endorse anyone again and that he regretted his Biden endorsement because of the way it had divided his fans. Perhaps it was the several box office failures and constant noise on his social accounts from those not happy with his Democratic alignment that changed his mind.

Of course, Johnson’s choices about whether to share his political opinions or not is one for him to make. Those who applauded Johnson’s bold stance in 2020 now feel a little betrayed. It is unlikely that Johnson has been swayed to support the current administration, which means his silence on the matter is really a moot point. For that reason, not continuing to publicly support whoever the next Democrat presidential candidate is just seems as pointless as hiding in house of glass.

(featured image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

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