Dwayne Johnson could give Trump a 'run for his money' in 2024, former White House chief of staff says

Could The Rock cook up a White House bid and take on former President Donald Trump?

Mick Mulvaney, who served as acting White House chief of staff in the Trump administration, spoke with Politico about who he believes could challenge Trump in a 2024 Republican primary, assuming Trump does decide to run again, per Mediaite. Mulvaney argued it's a "short list" of people who could realistically do so, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.).

But he also threw in an unexpected third name. "Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson could give him a run for his money," Mulvaney said.

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The actor and former wrestler has repeatedly teased a potential presidential bid, even starring on a sitcom that depicts him running for president in the future. After a poll found 46 percent of Americans said they would support Johnson's presidential run, the Fast & Furious star said it would "be my honor to serve you," and he also said that "if this is what the people want, then I will do that."

Last October, Johnson told Vanity Fair he's done a "small amount of research and analysis to see where this comes from and to see what it could look like in the future," teasing that "indicators are all very positive — in, for example, 2024, and in, for example, 2028." He acknowledged, though, that "I don't know the first thing about politics" or policy and that "I may have some decent leadership qualities, but that doesn't necessarily make me a great presidential candidate."

Although Mulvaney suggested he thinks Johnson could run as a Republican against President Biden, Johnson endorsed Biden in the 2020 election, his first time making an official presidential endorsement. "As a registered Independent for years now with centrist ideologies," he said, "I do feel that Vice President Biden and Senator [Kamala] Harris are the best choice to lead our country."