Celebrities in Politics: The Rock, Joe Rogan and LeBron James headline famous 2028 President nominees

You’re probably thinking it would be weird to have a celebrity president. Because we all have really short memories and celebrities in politics are becoming the norm.

President Trump’s last big gig before his first election win was hosting a reality TV show. Ronald Reagan, famously to the shock of Dr Emmet Brown in Back to the Future, was an actor before he became President.

Ukrainian President Zelensky was, incredibly, a comedian who starred in Servant of the People, a political satire where he played an unlikely Presidential candidate who got elected to the highest office.

We live in a time where traditional politicians are disenchanting the everyman, and elections are more a popularity contest than a battleground for key issues and debate.

Celebrity politicians are here to stay as a fixture American society: let’s take a look at some of the biggest names in the political betting odds in the 2028 US election with expert commentary and insights from Jeff Le, a former senior official in California state politics who negotiated with the first Trump administration and Managing Partner at tech policy consultancy 100 Mile Strategies.

Celebrity Presidential Nominee Odds: Republican

The following odds are accurate as of November 2025: 

Odds provided by Oddspedia – accurate as of November 27

Celebrity Presidential Nominee Odds: Democrat

Odds provided by Oddspedia – accurate as of November 27

Celebrity Presidential Nominee Odds Analysis

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson: The Most Electrifying Democratic Ticket?

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is sitting pretty with +3300 US odds, giving him a 2.94% Implied Probability to headline the Democratic ticket.

Why would a the former WWE wrestler turned Hollywood star, whose brand is built on eyebrow raises and suplexes, become the Democratic Party’s great hope? Because in an era of political toxicity, he is, quite literally, the most likeable person in America.

The Morning Consult poll cited by Le is staggering: an 82% favourable number and a microscopic 6% unfavourable. That’s not a politician; that’s a unicorn.

Johnson is the ultimate blank political canvas, a point Le highlights perfectly. He’s all brand, all appeal, and zero political baggage: a strategy that seems perfectly suited for a 50-50 country that just wants a friendly face.

If The Rock can unify the wrestling world, perhaps he can truly unify the nation, which is a prospect as ridiculous as it is surprisingly plausible.

Mark Cuban: The Maverick Billionaire’s Play

On the Republican side, Mark Cuban is the entrepreneur with the most punchy odds at +4000, implying a 2.44% chance of nomination.

The Shark Tank star embodies the “disrupting voice to Washington” that Le suggests still holds massive appeal for voters.

Cuban has been regularly seen and even considered an independent run, so the ambition is clearly bubbling under the surface. It’s the quintessential American story: the billionaire who built his empire and now fancies himself a White House tenant.

His odds are shorter than other celebrity Republicans, perhaps because he’s already mastered the media landscape and the art of the well-timed, slightly bombastic soundbite.

He’s less a blank canvas and more a meticulously designed billboard, but in today’s political climate, an experienced disruptor is often seen as more palatable than a complete political unknown.

Aaron Rodgers: The Hail Mary Nominee

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers rides in with very long +10000 odds putting him in the long-shot territory alongside Tom Brady and Jeff Bezos.

Rodgers’s inclusion here is less about a genuine political movement and more about the cultural moment.

The NFL legend is famously outspoken, sometimes controversial figure whose every public comment is dissected like a game-winning play. In a country obsessed with media figures, having a star athlete, especially one with a penchant for opining on everything, on the list is mandatory.

“Given where American politics is today, anything is possible. Just ask President Trump,” notes Le, and a Rodgers run would be the ultimate embodiment of that unpredictable chaos.

It’s the ultimate Hail Mary pass from the betting markets, hoping a charismatic, albeit slightly enigmatic, sports figure could ride a wave of disenchantment all the way to a convention.

LeBron James: A Slam Dunk of a Candidate?

With +10000  US odds and a 0.99% Implied Probability  on the Democratic ticket, NBA star LeBron James is still seen as a long-shot to trade in his sneakers for a tie.

The problem for The King isn’t influence—he practically is influence, spearheading voter initiatives like “More Than A Vote.” But James is already one of the most polarizing figures in sports, precisely because he’s never shied away from social issues.

Unlike Dwayne Johnson, he’s not a blank canvas; he’s a highly detailed mural that half the country finds offensive, a scenario Jeff Le noted often saddles Hollywood actors with negative numbers from the opposing party.

He’s too overtly political for the ‘apolitical’ celebrity lane, making a nomination less of a smooth drive to the basket and more of a foul-ridden power struggle.

George Clooney: Hollywood’s Most Famous Democrat

The silver-haired heartthrob sits at +6600 US odds. George Clooney is the classic Hollywood liberal, a handsome face with serious global philanthropic credentials, including the Clooney Foundation for Justice.

As Le suggested, actors with career-long charisma “could overcome such stigma and garner support from independents.” He’s a global icon who literally sold a tequila company for a billion dollars; he is wealthy, articulate, and generally favorable.

However, his recent willingness to criticize his own party leadership, such as his plea for a new nominee in the 2024 election, suggests he has the political instincts to ruffle feathers. A self-declared truth-teller, his biggest hurdle is his deep, established connection to the Democratic elite, which might be too “politics-as-usual” for a primary electorate currently craving disruption.

Kanye West: Ye or nay?

Still making the best sportsbooks’ boards, Kanye West hovers at +10000 US odds, a chilling 0.99% Implied Probability for the Republican nod.

This is less of a political campaign and more of a recurring piece of performance art. West has already run and conceded, garnering only about 70,000 votes in the states where he made the ballot—a number one might charitably call a ‘blip.’

His political life is one of explosive soundbites, not policy platforms, a fact that often overshadows any sincere desire to “fuse spiritual authority, political power, and merchandising.”

Given his history of controversy and the need for a ‘disrupting voice’ that appeals to a vast swath of voters, his odds reflect the reality that while he can capture headlines, he can’t seem to capture a coherent path to the ballot, let alone the White House.

Taylor Swift: A world-leader in music?

The woman who can move markets, literally, is listed at +10000 US odds, reflecting a 0.99% Implied Probability on the Democratic side.

For Taylor Swift, this nomination is purely a reflection of her astronomical cultural power, the ability to generate millions of voter registrations with a single Instagram story.

She is currently the most influential political force in pop culture, publically supporting Kamala Harris in 2024 and speaking out against President Trump’s policies.

While her endorsement is a force majeure, running herself? That would require sacrificing her carefully cultivated personal boundaries and plunging into the messy political mud.

She’s savvy enough to know that the threat of her political power is currently worth far more than the commitment of a full run.

Joe Rogan: From podcasts to Pennsylvania Avenue?

The ultimate anti-establishment figure, Rogan is perhaps the single most important “unlikely political influencer” in the nation, presiding over a podcast empire that attracts more listeners than cable news networks combined.

Presidential candidates get a measurable surge just by appearing on his show. However, his appeal lies in his absolute freedom as an outsider—he endorses both Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump and boasts a libertarian-leaning platform that is as contradictory as it is vast.

He is the ultimate disrupter, the figure Jeff Le identifies, yet his power is tied to the media he controls. Trading the non-exclusive $250 million freedom of his podcast for the highly restrictive, politically compromising shackles of a presidential run seems like a truly terrible deal, even for an MMA enthusiast.

Full Expert Commentary from Jeff Le:

“The United States has a strong recent history of electing celebrities, famous figures, and actors into elected office well-before President Trump’s arrival to the White House. Governor Schwarzenegger rode his acting career to Sacramento. President Reagan did one better by arriving to the White House for two terms. Jesse “The Body” Ventura, famed professional wrestler, became the Governor of Minnesota. And before Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, comedian Al Franken was elected to the United States Senate.

“In a 50-50 country that dislikes their current political options, electoral interests in the outsider only grows. Charisma, appeal, and recognition are important for breaking through the noise in politics, especially with less opportunities for viral moments (in a positive way).

“In a recent Morning Consult poll, Dwayne Johnson led the field in celebrity favorability with a giant 82% favorable number, and small 6% unfavorable. While Hollywood actors may have more of a liberal connection historically that could turn off conservative voters, George Clooney (67% favorable, 17% unfavorable) and Robert Downey, Jr. (68% favorable, 11% unfavorable) with a career as leading actors could overcome such stigma and garner support from independents, They would likely be saddled by negative numbers from the opposing party should they pick the other party.

“Of course, these figures are well-known, but they are also a blank political canvas overall.

‘Sports and media figure Stephen A. Smith earlier this year made waves implying a potential elected office run. And billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban has been regularly seen and even considered an independent presidential run at one point. A disrupting voice to Washington still appeals to a vast swath of the voters.

“Given where American politics is today, anything is possible. Just ask President Trump.”

The history of celebrity politicians