William Howard Taft vs Zine El Abidine Ben Ali

Taft, a Republican, won the 1908 presidential election against Democrat William Jennings Bryan. Taft was handpicked by outgoing President Theodore Roosevelt as his successor, promising to continue Roosevelt's progressive policies.

Taft signed the Payne-Aldrich Tariff, which lowered some tariffs but raised others, disappointing progressives who wanted significant reductions. The tariff alienated Taft from the progressive wing of the Republican Party and contributed to the party split.

President Warren G. Harding appointed Taft as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, a position Taft had long desired. Taft served until 1930, becoming the only person to have held both the presidency and the chief justiceship.

Prime Minister Ben Ali removed President Habib Bourguiba from office after doctors declared him unfit to rule. The coup was bloodless and initially welcomed as a way to end Bourguiba's increasingly erratic rule.

Ben Ali was elected president with 99.27% of the vote in an election where he was the only candidate. His rule was characterized by political repression, economic growth, and a facade of democracy.

After weeks of mass protests triggered by Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation, Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia. His ouster marked the first successful uprising of the Arab Spring, inspiring protests across the Middle East and North Africa.

A Tunisian court convicted Ben Ali in absentia on charges of embezzlement and drug possession. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison and fined millions of dollars. The trial was part of efforts to hold the former regime accountable.