George W. Bush

Bush won the 2000 presidential election after a contested recount in Florida, ultimately decided by the Supreme Court in Bush v. Gore. He became the 43rd president.

After the September 11 attacks, Bush declared a War on Terror, signing the USA PATRIOT Act and creating the Department of Homeland Security. He also launched military operations in Afghanistan.

Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq, citing Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction. The invasion toppled Hussein's regime but led to a prolonged insurgency and no WMDs were found.

The federal response to Hurricane Katrina was widely criticized as slow and inadequate. Bush's approval ratings fell sharply, and the disaster highlighted failures in emergency management.

Bush's administration responded to the global financial crisis with the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), bailing out major banks and automakers. The crisis deepened the recession.