Alternative History
President of the United States

Presidential Anthem:
Seal of the President of the United States
Presidential seal
Flag of the President of the United States of America
Presidential Standard
Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation
Incumbent
Pete Buttigieg

since January 20, 2049
Executive branch of the U.S. government Executive Office of the President
Style Mr. President (informal)
The Honourable (formal)
His Excellency (diplomatic)
Status Head of state
Head of government
Commander-in-chief
Abbreviation POTUS
Member of Cabinet
Domestic Policy Council
National Economic Council
National Security Council
Residence White House
Seat Washington, D.C.
Appointer Electoral College or via succession
Term length Four years, Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution
Constituting instrument Constitution of the United States
Precursor the President of the Continental Congress
Inaugural holder George Washington
Formation 4 March 1789; 263 years ago
Salary 400,000 United States dollars per year

The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term via the Electoral College. The officeholder leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces. Since the office was established in 1789, 49 people have served in 51 presidencies. The first president, George Washington, won a unanimous vote of the Electoral College. Grover Cleveland and Donald Trump served two non-consecutive terms and are therefore counted as the 22nd and 24th and the 45th and 47th president of the United States respectively, giving rise to the discrepancy between the number of presidencies and the number of individuals who have served as president.

The presidency of William Henry Harrison, who died 31 days after taking office in 1841, was the shortest in American history. Franklin D. Roosevelt served the longest, over twelve years, before dying early in his fourth term in 1945. He is the only U.S. president to have served more than two terms. Since the ratification of the Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution in 1951, no person may be elected president more than twice, and no one who has served more than two years of a term to which someone else was elected may be elected more than once.

Four presidents died in office of natural causes (William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Warren G. Harding, and Franklin D. Roosevelt), four were assassinated
(Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy), and one resigned (Richard Nixon, facing impeachment and removal from office). John Tyler was the first vice president to assume the presidency during a presidential term, and set the precedent that a vice president who does so becomes the fully functioning president with their own administration.

Throughout most of its history, American politics has been dominated by political parties. The Constitution is silent on the issue of political parties, and at the time it came into force in 1789, no organized parties existed. Soon after the 1st Congress convened, political factions began rallying around dominant Washington administration officials, such as Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Concerned about the capacity of political parties to destroy the fragile unity holding the nation together, Washington remained unaffiliated with any political faction or party throughout his eight-year presidency. He was, and remains, the only U.S. president never affiliated with a political party.

The incumbent president is Pete Buttigieg, who assumed office on January 20, 2049. The president-elect is Vivek Ramaswamy, who will assume office on January 20, 2053.

No Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term Party Election Vice President
1
Gilbert Stuart Williamstown Portrait of George Washington (cropped)(3)
George Washington
(1732–1799)
April 30, 1789

March 4, 1797
   Unaffiliated 1788–1789
1792
John Adams
2
John Adams 1800 to 1815 Portrait (4x5 cropped) (1)
John Adams
(1735–1826)
March 4, 1797

March 4, 1801
   Federalist 1796 Thomas Jefferson
3
Thomas Jefferson by Rembrandt Peale, 1800
Thomas Jefferson
(1743–1826)
March 4, 1801

March 4, 1809
   Democratic-
Republican
1800
1804
Aaron Burr
George Clinton
4
James Madison 1816
James Madison
(1751–1836)
March 4, 1809

– March 4, 1817

   Democratic-

Republican

1808
1812
George Clinton
Vacant after April 20, 1812
Elbridge Gerry
Vacant after November 23, 1814
5
James Monroe White House portrait 1819 (3x4 cropped)
James Monroe
(1758–1831)
March 4, 1817

March 4, 1825
   Democratic-
Republican
1816
1820
Daniel D. Tompkins
6
President John Quincy Adams 1858 crop
John Quincy Adams
(1767–1848)
March 4, 1825

March 4, 1829
  Democratic-Republican
National Republican
1824 John C. Calhoun
 
7
Andrew jackson head (cropped 4x5)
Andrew Jackson
(1767–1845)
March 4, 1829

March 4, 1837
   Democratic 1828
1832
John C. Calhoun
Vacant after December 28, 1832
Martin Van Buren
8
Martin Van Buren circa 1837 crop
Martin Van Buren
(1782–1862)
March 4, 1837

March 4, 1841
   Democratic 1836 Richard Mentor Johnson
9
William Henry Harrison crop
William Henry Harrison
(1773–1841)
March 4, 1841

April 4, 1841
   Whig 1840 John Tyler
10
John Tyler at his desk
John Tyler
(1790–1862)
April 4, 1841

March 4, 1845
   Whig
Unaffiliated
Vacant throughoutpresidency
  
11
President James Knox Polk
James K. Polk
(1795–1849)
March 4, 1845

March 4, 1849
   Democratic 1844 George M. Dallas
12
Zachary Taylor 2
Zachary Taylor
(1784–1850)
March 4, 1849

July 9, 1850
   Whig 1848 Millard Fillmore
13
Millard Fillmore by James Reid Lambdin (National Portrait Gallery)
Millard Fillmore
(1800–1874)
July 9, 1850

March 4, 1853
   Whig Vacant throughoutpresidency
14
Portrait of Franklin Pierce (by George Peter Alexander Healy, 1853)
Franklin Pierce
(1804–1869)
March 4, 1853

March 4, 1857
   Democratic 1852 William R. King
Vacant after April 18, 1853
15
JamesBuchanan crop
James Buchanan
(1791–1868)
March 4, 1857

March 4, 1861
   Democratic 1856 John C. Breckinridge
16
Lincoln by George H Story c1915
Abraham Lincoln
(1809–1865)
March 4, 1861

April 15, 1865
   Republican 1860
1864
Hannibal Hamlin
Andrew Johnson
   National Union
17
Andrew Johnson by Washington B. Cooper, after 1866 - DSC03246
Andrew Johnson
(1808–1875)
April 15, 1865

March 4, 1869
   National Union Vacant throughoutpresidency
   Democratic
18
Ulysses S Grant by Brady c1870-restored
Ulysses S. Grant
(1822–1885)
March 4, 1869

March 4, 1877
   Republican 1868
1872
Schuyler Colfax
Henry Wilson
Vacant after November 22, 1875
19
President Rutherford Hayes 1870 - 1880 Restored
Rutherford B. Hayes
(1822–1893)
March 4, 1877

March 4, 1881
   Republican 1876 William A. Wheeler
20
James Abram Garfield, photo portrait seated
James A. Garfield
(1831–1881)
March 4, 1881

September 19, 1881
   Republican 1880 Chester A. Arthur
21
Chester A. Arthur by Abraham Bogardus (cropped)
Chester A. Arthur
(1829–1886)
September 19, 1881

March 4, 1885
   Republican Vacant throughoutpresidency
22
Grover Cleveland - NARA - 518139 (cropped)
Grover Cleveland
(1837–1908)
March 4, 1885

March 4, 1889
   Democratic 1884 Thomas A. Hendricks
Vacant after November 25, 1885
23
Benjamin Harrison, head and shoulders bw photo, 1896
Benjamin Harrison
(1833–1901)
March 4, 1889

March 4, 1893
   Republican 1888 Levi P. Morton
24
Grover Cleveland - NARA - 518139 (cropped)
Grover Cleveland
(1837–1908)
March 4, 1893

March 4, 1897
   Democratic 1892 Adlai Stevenson I
25
William McKinley (cropped)
William McKinley
(1843–1901)
March 4, 1897

September 14, 1901
   Republican 1896
1900
Garret Hobart
Vacant after November 21, 1899
Theodore Roosevelt
26
Theodore Roosevelt by the Pach Bros
Theodore Roosevelt
(1858–1919)
September 14, 1901

March 4, 1909
   Republican
1904
Vacant throughMarch 4, 1905
Charles W. Fairbanks
27
William Howard Taft by Pach Brothers (3x4 ropped)
William Howard Taft
(1857–1930)
March 4, 1909

March 4, 1913
   Republican 1908 James S. Sherman
Vacant after October 30, 1912
28
Woodrow Wilson-H&E
Woodrow Wilson
(1856–1924)
March 4, 1913

March 4, 1921
   Democratic 1912
1916
Thomas R. Marshall
29
Warren G Harding-Harris & Ewing
Warren G. Harding
(1865–1923)
March 4, 1921

August 2, 1923
   Republican 1920 Calvin Coolidge
30
Calvin Coolidge cph.3g10777 (cropped)
Calvin Coolidge
(1872–1933)
August 2, 1923

March 4, 1929
   Republican
1924
Vacant throughMarch 4, 1925
Charles G. Dawes
31
h
Herbert Hoover
(1874–1964)
March 4, 1929

March 4, 1933
   Republican 1928 Charles Curtis
32
FDR 1944 Color Portrait
Franklin D. Roosevelt
(1882–1945)
March 4, 1933

April 12, 1945
   Democratic 1932
1936
1940
1944
John Nance Garner
Henry A. Wallace
Harry S. Truman
33
TRUMAN 58-766-06 (cropped)
Harry S. Truman
(1884–1972)
April 12, 1945

January 20, 1953
   Democratic
1948
Vacant throughJanuary 20, 1949
Alben W. Barkley
34
e
Dwight D. Eisenhower
(1890–1969)
January 20, 1953

January 20, 1961
   Republican 1952
1956
Richard Nixon
35
John F. Kennedy, White House color photo portrait (3x4) (cropped)
John F. Kennedy
(1917–1963)
January 20, 1961

November 22, 1963
   Democratic 1960 Lyndon B. Johnson
36
37 Lyndon Johnson 3x4
Lyndon B. Johnson
(1908–1973)
November 22, 1963

January 20, 1969
   Democratic
1964
Vacant throughJanuary 20, 1965
Hubert Humphrey
37
Richard Nixon presidential portrait
Richard Nixon
(1913–1994)
January 20, 1969

August 9, 1974
   Republican 1968
1972
Spiro Agnew
Vacant:October 10 – December 6, 1973
Gerald Ford
38
Gerald Ford presidential portrait (cropped)
Gerald Ford
(1913–2006)
August 9, 1974

January 20, 1977
   Republican Vacant through December 19, 1974
Nelson Rockefeller
39
Jimmy Carter cropped
Jimmy Carter
(1924-2024)
January 20, 1977

January 20, 1981
   Democratic 1976 Walter Mondale
40
Official Portrait of President Reagan 1981-cropped
Ronald Reagan
(1911–2004)
January 20, 1981

January 20, 1989
   Republican 1980
1984
George H. W. Bush
41
George H. W. Bush presidential portrait (cropped)
George H. W. Bush
(1924–2018)
January 20, 1989

January 20, 1993
   Republican 1988 Dan Quayle
42
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
(b. 1946-2039)
January 20, 1993

January 20, 2001
   Democratic 1992
1996
Al Gore
43
George-W-Bush
George W. Bush
(1946-2042)
January 20, 2001

January 20, 2009
   Republican 2000
2004
Dick Cheney
44
Barack Obama portrait cropped
Barack Obama
(b. 1961)
January 20, 2009

January 20, 2017
   Democratic 2008
2012
Joe Biden
45
Donald Trump official portrait
Donald Trump
(1946-2043)
January 20, 2017

January 20, 2021
   Republican 2016 Mike Pence
46
Joe Biden presidential portrait
Joe Biden
(1942-2035)
January 20, 2021

January 20, 2025
   Democratic 2020 Kamala Harris
47
Donald Trump official portrait
Donald Trump
(1946-2043)
January 20, 2025

January 20, 2029
   Republican 2024 JD Vance
48
Senator Vance official portrait. 118th Congress (1)
JD Vance
(b. 1984)
January 20, 2029

January 20, 2037
   Republican 2028
2032
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Tulsi Gabbard
49
Tulsi Gabbard, official portrait, 113th Congress (cropped)
Tulsi Gabbard
(b. 1981)
January 20, 2037

January 20, 2045
   Republican 2036
2040
Ron DeSantis
50
Ron DeSantis, Official Portrait, 113th Congress (1)
Ron DeSantis
(b. 1978)
January 20, 2045

January 20, 2049
   Republican 2044 Vivek Ramaswamy
51
Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation
Pete Buttigieg
(b. 1982)
January 20, 2049

Incumbent
   Democratic 2048 Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

President-elect[]

No Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term Party Election Vice President
52
Vivek-Ramaswamy
Vivek Ramaswamy
(b. 1985)
To be sworn in on
January 20, 2053
   Republican 2052 Ron DeSantis