Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson brings star power to Capitol Hill amid presidential speculation

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson huddled with senators at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to discuss efforts to boost military recruitment.

Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) invited the famed movie star to Capitol Hill and organized the visit, which included a meeting in Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin‘s (D-IL) leadership office attended by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Todd Young (R-IN).

BURCHETT DOUBLES DOWN ON MCCARTHY ASSAULT CLAIM: ‘SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL’

The meeting was followed by a visit to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer‘s (D-NY) leadership office for a quick photo-op for the press. The Capitol Hill press corps swarmed Johnson during the photo spray and as he left Schumer’s office, peppering him with questions ranging from the serious to the absurd.

“Mr. Johnson, will you be at WrestleMania?” one reporter shouted as another yelled: “Will we smell what ‘The Rock’ is cooking?”

Johnson did not respond to either query nor did he answer repeated questions about if he’ll seek the presidency.

Speaking to the Washington Examiner after the meeting in Durbin’s office concluded, Kelly said that he is “trying to come up with ideas about how we improve military recruiting.”

“I didn’t know this, but he reaches 600 million people around the world,” the Arizona senator said of Johnson. “I don’t know exactly what his reach is in the U.S., but it’s significant.”

“Some of the best times in my life were spent serving in the military. It’s a great career that leads to a lot of opportunities even beyond the military,” Kelly continued. “So what we were discussing is how do you tell stories that get people more interested, and he’s a guy that can do that.”

Asked if she and Johnson were able to arm wrestle, Collins replied: “No, but I’m really pleased that he’s helping with military recruitment. I think he is a powerful influencer, and I will admit that I got as many pictures with him as I possibly could.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Johnson, 51, has been frequently cited since the 2020 election as a potential unity candidate in the 2024 presidential race. He revealed earlier this month that both of the major parties have tried to poach him as a 2024 White House contender.

“I got a visit from the parties. They asked me if I was going to run and if I could run — and it was a big deal. And it came out of the blue, and it was one after the other,” Johnson said in an interview.

David Sivak contributed to this report.