DBWI: Donald Trump is not elected President in 2000

2000 was considered a year of the political upset, mainly due to one man: New York businessman Donald Trump. He absolutely shocked the political establishment as a whole when he upset Texas Governor George W. Bush in the Republican primary, then him and vice presidential nominee Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. defeated the Democratic ticket of Al Gore and Joe Lieberman. Many say his eight years as President were one of a renewal American patriotism, while others also say his unorthodox approach to the Presidency was strange and, for lack of a better term, unpresidential. He left office with a modest 56% approval rating. He isn’t seen as the best president of all time, but he wasn’t the worst either.

That being said, what would America be like today had Donald Trump lost to either George W. Bush or Al Gore?

OOC: The main POD here is that instead of leaving the Republican Party and running for President on the Reform Party ticket, Trump believes he can change the Republican Party from the inside and decides to run as Republican in 2000 instead. Keep in mind that Trump of 2000 in our timeline is not like the Trump of 2016. He was considered more practical and level headed 18 years ago, and he wasn’t an extremely hardline conservative.

Also, just a heads up, I don’t want this thread to devolve into any nonsense about our current politics or anything like that. It is simply fruitful discussion on what could have been. Other than that, have fun!
 
First things first, one of the greatest political speeches of all time would never have been given:

"My fellow Americans. 190 years ago today, James Madison ordered a terrible, terrible invasion of Canada. Some call this evidence that attacking our northern neighbors is a very, very bad idea. But what did that guy know, huh? James Madison? Yeah sure okay he founded the country, but c'mon he was tiny! Tiny, tiny James Madison was only 5'4. I'm 6'3, and I'm bigger, tougher, and stronger than Puny James Madison or any other President except Abe Lincoln - who was only one inch taller. Only one inch! And it was Abe Lincoln who famously said that 'when they rip you off, you gotta play tough.' Well other countries, not just Canada but other countries, have been ripping us off from day one and I can't take it anymore! We're gonna play tough, and so I Donald J. Trump am ordering the armies of the US of A to take Canada at any cost! And when we're done, we're gonna build that Wall and make Canada pay for it!!"
 
I'll admit Trump's 2002 Gridiron speech got quite a few laughs, but it was only thought funny because of his resistance to go into Iraq as the neo-cons wanted. His instincts were borne out when just two weeks later we captured Osama Bin Laden.
 
This why DBWI TLs suck. Trump has always been a corrupt, mobbed up, degenerate slime bag and narcissistic sociopath. As you can already see from the postings of the fanbois they only want to wank that traitor.
 
This why DBWI TLs suck. Trump has always been a corrupt, mobbed up, degenerate slime bag and narcissistic sociopath. As you can already see from the postings of the fanbois they only want to wank that traitor.

OOC: My post was a sarcastic parody of Trump that mocks his stupidity, warmongering, and narcissism. The implication is that no matter what year Trump becomes President he would still have ended up a failure. It's very far from being a fanboy's endorsement.
 
OOC: My post was just to get the TL back to what the originator asked which was not to let "this thread to devolve into any nonsense about our current politics or anything like that," not because I am a fan of the President.
 
Let's get back on track, shall we? (OOC: And just for the record, I don't like Trump at all.)

We might not have had the rapprochement between the US and Iran (I can't see Bush or Gore saying yes) when they offered the US help in taking down Al-Quaeda. And with Iran on side, the USA was able to contain Saddam and ensure he behaved himself.

Would Bush (assuming he beats Gore) have used the nuclear option post-9/11? Trump gave it very serious thought, but was advised against it by his chiefs of staff (and, as revealed by his autobiography, Putin, as Trump actually asked him if he'd use nukes if the Duma was attacked in that way). I will admit, I saw that Trump took 9/11 hard (being a NYer and all), but it wasn't until I read his autobiography that I discovered that he'd briefly struggled with depression in the immediate aftermath.
 
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