Without specifically saying Trump’s name, Dwayne Johnson calls out the president for not offering compassionate, inspiring, empowering or uplifting leadership at a time of crisis.
There have been many voices crying out that President Trump has not been providing the kind of passionate leadership this country needs in the wake of more than a week of protests, both peaceful and violent, following the death of George Floyd.
As tensions between police and protesters have escalated, fights over “Black Lives Matter” and “All Lives Matter” have escalated, racial tension has escalated, Dwayne Johnson asks Donald Trump one simple question.
“Where are you?”
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Those were the words he opened his impassioned video plea, and while he didn’t call out the president by name, it was evident this was who he was talking to throughout his message.
“Where is our leader at this time?” he asked. “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?”
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Johnson spoke emotionally and eloquently for 8 minutes and 25 seconds, which is just 21 seconds shy of how long George Floyd was face down on the ground with former officer Derek Chauvin’s knee on his neck.
Floyd pleaded with Chauvin and the three other officers involved with detaining him over a suspected counterfeit $20 bill, telling them repeatedly he couldn’t breathe, but they did not relent. Chauvin’s knee remained on his neck for several minutes even after Floyd lost consciousness.
All four men are now facing charges. Chauvin is looking at 2nd-degree murder and 2nd-degree manslaughter charges, while the other three officers are charged with aiding and abetting that murder.
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Since then, protests have erupted globally, spreading into all 50 states and countries around the world, while the president’s rhetoric to “dominate” protesters and his urge to create a military presence on the ground has been met with criticism and disappointment.
“Where is our compassionate leader who is going to step up to our country who’s down on its knees and extend a hand and say, you stand up. Stand up with me. Stand up with me, because I got you,” Johnson said. “I got you, I hear you, I’m listening to you.”
Johnson also took a little time in his plea to offer some words about the divide and debate between Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter. “Of course all lives matter. Every single one,” he said. “. All lives matter because we, as Americans, we believe in inclusivity, we believe in acceptance, we believe in human rights. We believe in equality for all.”
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“But in this moment right now, this defining, pivotal, explosive moment where our country is down on its knees — the floorboards of our country are becoming unhinged — in this moment, we must say the words black lives matter,” he continued. We must say it because so many people believe that they don’t … or at least not as much as white lives.
He then turned again to pleading with the president to consider compassion over military forces. “Looters, yes. Criminals, absolutely” he conceded. “But our protesters, who are begging and pleading, our protesters who are in pain. 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.”
He even challenged the president to step up and take ownership of something that is so much bigger than whatever rhetoric he shouts, so much deeper than his capacity and so much longer than his life by challenging him to take “full accountability for something that has been hundreds of years of systemic disease.”
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“Why am I taking full accountability,” he challenged the president to tell his people. “Because I am your leader and I’m going to do everything I can to make this right … together we’re going to make that change, together we’re going to normalize equality.”
But in the absence of the leadership he is looking for, and believes many Americans are looking for, Johnson said, “We must become the leaders we are looking for. We become our own leaders.” And he says he’s seeing that right now in the streets with these protests, these calls for change.
Many in the comments to his post made callbacks to previous comments Johnson has made about considering a run for president in his future. He even made a joke out of it by creating a fantasy ticket with Tom Hanks on “Saturday Night Live.”
After hearing his words, though, many fans are ready for that joke to truly consider becoming reality. And the other half of this very divided nation immediately trashed him for criticizing the president. Even a call for compassion finds it in limited supply.
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