The 43rd president of the United States (2001-2009). A former oil company executive and governor of Texas (1994-2000), Bush defeated Al Gore in the 2000 presidential election, losing the popular vote but winning a majority in the electoral college. His administration was marked by an American-led invasion of Afghanistan in response to al-Qaeda's terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, by the Iraq War, and by federal support of failed banks and insurance companies during a large-scale credit crisis.