@TrashMammal2019 Here is my potential take of U.S. Presidents for this timeline. Inspired from
@Anarcho-Occultist's
take on the Crossed timeline.
43. George W. Bush/Dick Cheney (2001-2009)
Defeated: Al Gore/Joe Lieberman (2000)
Defeated: John Kerry/John Edwards (2004)
George W. Bush (R-TX) won a narrow margin against Al Gore (D-TN) on 2000 U.S. Presidential elections. One of Bush's highlights of his administration was the 9/11 attacks which led the United States and her allies on the War on Terror. The U.S. proceeded to invade Afghanistan on October 7th, 2001 and ramp up special forces deployments to the Persian Gulf and the Philippines. Six months into the War on Terror, the world's attention would be focused with events on the United Kingdom when the Rage Virus epidemic began on May 4, 2002. Bush would support his British counterpart, Prime Minister Tony Blair on events. While there were no active U.S. boots in the ground (not counting USAF personnel in RAF bases), the U.S. and their European allies in NATO would assist Britain in the evacuation of American citizens in the UK as well as British refugees trying to relocate to mainland Europe. However has this took a toll, Britain was declared a dead zone with the Infected expected to die-off in a month's time or so. Bush would face controversy during this time. First of all there was no evacuation for the American Ambassador, William S. Farish III and some of the embassy staff as they remained in London. The Bush State Department would take the blame for this. Ambassador Farish and the remaining staff was found dead in the embassy after the U.S.-led NATO campaign to reclaim Britain after 28 weeks. Their death was ruled out a suicide after several empty bottles of pills. Though there was no sign of forced entry into the second floor of the diplomatic compound, suicide was like an option instead of starvation. Secondly, the Bush administration had to answer for the Second London Outbreak or the Isle of Dogs massacre which led to thousands of civilian dead and hundreds of American personnel, leading to the sacking and arrest of General Stone. Thirdly, Andy Harris was brought in secretly to the United States (likely in Fort Detrick, MD) from France at the start of the European outbreak. Harris was studied by USARMIID and CDC personnel. Human rights activists denounced this after depriving Andy Harris of liberty since he was still a little kid who have no knowledge of what he had done. As the outbreak began to rampage through Central Europe, Bush ordered the withdrawal of remaining U.S. forces in Germany and Italy. Only the ones in Spain remained. The NATO alliance was all but dissolved as member states fell to the virus or dealt it with extreme measures. The withdrawal of American forces from Europe would save thousands of American lives, both military and civilian dependents. However, a significant portion of Europeans would loathe the U.S. for this, having left for dead. But who would could blame both sides? America knew it would be costly to keep defending Europe while they were protected by the vast stretch of the Atlantic Ocean. Despite this controversies, Bush would be reelected in the 2004 elections due to having the United States stay out of Iraq as they were focused on Britain, though he did warn Saddam Hussein that if weapons-of-mass destruction were found there would be consequences. For the remaining part of his term, Bush focused primarily on domestic issues. Bush stayed out of the Libyan uprising in 2003, which analysts have said that this contributed to his reelection. The research of the Rage Virus vaccine began on his term. The federal government responded quickly in giving aid to the victims of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. U.S. Forces would remain deployed in Asia and the Middle East as the hunt for Osama bin-Laden continued. However, the terrorist responsible for the attacks of September 11, 2001 would elude even after Bush ended his term on January 20, 2009. Bush would then be succeeded by Hillary Clinton in the 2008 elections.
It was notable that Bush would only acknowledge of keeping Andy Harris' existence public after his term. He remains a controversial figure to this day.
44. Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine (2009-2017)
Defeated: John S. McCain III/Sarah Pailin (2008)
Defeated: Ron Paul/Rick Santorum (2012)
The first female president of the United States and wife of Bill Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States, Hillary Clinton was elected into the White House leading where Bush left-off. By the time she was inaugurated as the commander-in-chief on January 20, 2009, the Rage Epidemic that destroyed Europe had all but died down. The vaccine for the Rage Virus - which began since Bush - had not yet been finished. As the virus would burn itself out by the end of the decade, the United Sates would continue rebuilding Britain slowly, starting from Scotland then pushing down south. Contact would be established with surviving communities within Britain. Aid and relief would also pour down into isolated surviving towns in the European wasteland (as it is called). At this point, the NATO was reactivated in Barcelona, Spain as the Iberian peninsula was untouched by the outbreak. Part of this reborn NATO's objective was to reconstruct port towns in Europe as a staging port for aid and relief to arrive to surviving communities. The French and German government would ultimately be reestablished in 2010. One of their first action was demanding the Clinton Administration to handover Andrew Harris to the International Court of Criminal Justice, something she would comply. This move proved controversial though as Andy Harris was still a minor even if he was technically responsible for starting the European Outbreak. Movement around the world called for his release or at least a pardon. On the international scene, the Clinton Administration was critical of the Russian Federation. Clinton saw Russia's movement into Eastern Europe as another form of land grabbing and expansion of influence. However, this was limited to only concerns and condemnations as the U.S. did not have the resources to deter Russia. Despite this setback, the U.S., the reactivated NATO, and Russia agreed to cooperate rebuilding what remains of Europe for the benefit of mankind.
The early 2010s would see natural disasters occur around the world. A 7.0 magnitude earthquake would hit Haiti on January 12, 2010. A year later on March 11, 2011, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake would strike off the coast of Sendai, Japan. The U.S. would assist in the relief and recovery of this area, simultaneous with the slow reconstruction of Europe.
By 2012, intel pointed out the Osama bin Laden was hidding in Pakistan. He would then be killed in a U.S. Navy SEAL raid on October 20, 2012. With the death of bin Laden, Al-Qaeda operations significantly weakened around the world. This would ultimately ensure that Clinton would be reelected in 2012, defeating Republican candidate Ron Paul (R-TX). From 2014-15, the U.S. would notably downsize its deployment in Afghanistan, leaving a small contingent to make sure the Taliban would not cause trouble to the new Afghan government. Despite the Arab Spring erupting in the early 2010s, the U.S. mainly stayed out of it. Saddam Hussein was disposed on a coup on February 22, 2012 while Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak would be ousted by a people power revolution on July 3, 2012. Things were not so well in Syria as the Assad presidency crushed the revolts with an iron fist. Without international support, the anti-Assad forces then entered an agreement. It was also under Clinton that the vaccine for the T-Virus was completed on August 4, 2012. It was criticized for being a little bit too late. She would leave office with approval rate of 56% following the 2016 elections.
45. Ben Carson/John Kasich (2017-present)
Defeated: Bernie Sanders/Tulsi Gabbard (2016)
A well-known neurosurgeon, Ben Carson became the first African-American President of the United States. Utilizing on his medical knowledge, Carson would oversee the advancements of new biosafety standards for infectious diseases as a lesson from the Rage Virus epidemic a decade before. Counterterrorism was more focused on potential bioterrorists. During the 15th anniversary of the Rage Virus epidemic, Carson was present in the ceremony held in Richmond, England (the temporary capital of the United Kingdom as London was still being cleared over-and-over again). Gun ownership laws would be more lax, as it was under Bush, since Americans feel safer being armed as the possibility of a Rage Virus epidemic might emerge again. No one could be so sure. Carson would seek reelection for the 2020 election. Only time would tell the outcome of the elections and how the victor will lead the United States in the post-Rage Epidemic world.