Frank Carlucci (PJW)

Frank Carlucci was the 38th president of the United States.

Part of a rising generation of politicians radicalized by President John Wayne's anticommunist rhetoric, Carlucci ran for office and became a member of the House of Representatives. Known as the "Kid from Congress" Carlucci made a name for himself with fiery speeches and hard foreign policy. Together with his friend and fellow politician Donald Rumsfeld, Carlucci became the leader of the "Young Representatives" a group of moderate conservatives with a strong sense of patriotism and dedication to fighting communism at home and abroad. Following the seemingly weak and scandal-riddled presidencies of Wayne, Byrd, and especially Nixon, many voters believed fresh blood was needed in Washington. During the 1972 presidential election, Carlucci's faction emerged as the leading faction in a divided party, with the Carlucci-Rumsfeld ticket being the Republican nominees.

Carlucci's age, ethnicity, and the freshness of the Drake Scandal worked against him; no side could gain a majority, resulting in the vote going to Congress. Rumsfeld would become Acting President and working closely with Carlucci, the two opened negotiations with Soviet General Secretary Dmitry Ustinov and the reformed North Korean government to handle the Korean Crisis. Immediately after the House elected him, Carlucci authorized a nuclear strike, destroying the South Korean nuclear capabilities, setting the tone for his presidency and showing that the "Kid from Congress was made of iron".

During his presidency, he presided over a period of modernization and militarization as his presidency took on an increasing authoritarian bend. The 27th Amendment was passed, allowing the president and vice president to remain in power until a President or Vice President is elected, to prevent the same mistakes of 1973 and 1965 from happening again. The same ticket won the 1976 election amidst calls of voting fraud; their second term was violent, including growing brinkmanship with the Soviets, wars in Vietnam, South Africa, and South America - including nuclear strikes on Bolivia - and crackdowns on dissidents in America.

The Democrat party had been reduced to a rump force by Carlucci's tactics, and Rumsfeld was the presumptive winner in the 1982 presidential election. The Citizens' Party and several governors conducted the Governors' Plot, 10 state governors ran as favorite sons, throwing the election into Congress where it was planned for independent Citizens' Party vice presidential candidate and war hero James Stockdale to be elected. The plan failed when Carlucci arrested several senators on charges on espionage, preventing a vote. Due to the 27th Amendment Carlucci and Rumsfeld remained in power.

Amidst widespread protests and riots, Alexander Haig led a military coup d'etat and removed the administration from power. Rather than face imprisonment, Carlucci committed suicide in the Oval Office via a cyanide pill.