Diego Braun (Porvenir)

Diego Braun

48th President of the United States
In Office: January 21st, 2037 - 2045
Vice President:	Gary Johnson (2037 - 2041) John Cena (2041-2045)
Preceded by:	Todd Young
Succeeded by:	John Cena
25th Governor of Washington
In office: January 21st, 2033 - December 22nd, 2036
Lieutenant:	Hope Solo
Preceded by:	Denny Heck
Succeeded by:	Hope Solo
President of Sueño Entertainment
In office: August 5, 2021 - January 1, 2033
Preceded by:	-
Succeeded by:	Patrick Rolfe
Biography
Born:	Diego Julian Braun November 6, 1998 Kirkland, Washington
Citizenship:	American
Political party:	Independent (2020-2035) Libertarian (2035 onwards)
Partner(s):	Maddy Cook (m. 2027)
Children:	Autumn Brenda
Alma mater:	Montana State University
Occupation:	Writer, businessman
Religion:	Protestant

Diego Julian Braun (November 6, 1998) is an American politician, writer and businessman who served as the 48th President of the United States from January 2037 until January 2045. Braun led the country through the Third World War. A life long member of the Libertarian Party, Braun served as Governor of Washington State and owned Sueño Entertainment prior to becoming President. Braun was the first Mexican-American President, the first Hispanic-American President, the youngest President in U.S history, the first President from Washington, and the first President from the Libertarian Party.

Early years and education[]

Diego Braun was born on 6 November, 1998 in Kirkland, Washington. His father was an immigrant from Mexico while his mother was of Anglo, Jewish and Hungarian descent. Braun's parents divorced when he was an infant, and he and his sisters Makayla and Raelynn were mostly raised by their mother.

Braun attended Eastside Catholic School in Sammamish, WA. After graduation, he enrolled at Montana State University, double majoring in secondary education and business.

In Autumn 2021, following Braun's final year of college, he published his first book, Grognak the Barbarian. The work was acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, making the New York Times Bestseller List, and propelling both the Grognak franchise and Braun into the spotlight.

Carnaval Entertainment[]

In 2021, Braun and a group of friends from high school co-founded Sueño Entertainment, an entertainment company. The company initially published Braun's novels while producing various web series. However, later that year, the company launched PplNetwork, a streaming service that served as an alternative to Google's YouTube and Instagram's IGTV. PplNetwork provided a platform for regular people to make a living producing content without fear of following "advertiser-friendly" guidelines. PplNetwork was a tremendous success, and eventually overtook both of its rivals in popularity by 2028.

Political beginnings and 2032 campaign for Governor[]

Throughout his private sector career, Braun donated money to individuals from all political parties. Most notably, supporting the presidential candidacy of Kamala Harris in 2024, Jon Tester's reelection bid in the 2024 U.S Senate races, the Senate campaign of friend and mentor Gary Johnson in the 2024 U.S Senate races, and Jay Leno's run in the 2024 California Senate race. Braun made it clear that his intention was to elect individuals who supported libertarian-leftist policies, and that he paid no mind to their party affiliation. A staunch critic of the Republican Party however, most of Braun donations went to Democratic and third-party candidates, notwithstanding his support of Justin Amash for Senate.

In 2032, Braun considered running for the Governorship of his homestate of Washington as a Democrat, but after persuasion from Gary Johnson, he instead sought the Libertarian nomination, also pushing retired soccer star Hope Solo to run for Lieutenant Governor. During the campaign, Braun expressed his belief that an economic collapse was on the horizon, and promised to lead Washington through whatever strife the country faced. Charismatic and youthful, Braun spent the final 72 hours of the campaign barnstorming without rest.

On election day, Braun defeated Democratic incumbent Denny Heck, and Republican Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler, 40%-30%-28%. Upon his election, Braun handed control of Carnaval Entertainment to friend and co-founder Patrick Rolfe.

Governor of Washington (2033-2036)[]

BraunSOTS — Braun (right) delivers his first State of the State address while Washington State Speaker of the House Monica Stonier (middle) and Lieutenant Governor Hope Solo (left) look on (2034)

Braun was a very progressive Governor, championing classical libertarianism through his staunch support of immigrants' rights, corporate regulation, and protection of civil liberties and net-neutrality. A 2035 analysis by Politifact found him to be the most progressive Governor in the country ahead of California Governor David Hogg, and Michigan Governor Abdul El-Sayed. His leftist views often put him at odds with conservative, neolibertarians in the Libertarian Party leadership and fellow officeholders, sparking a particularly heated rivalry with fellow Governor and fellow Libertarian Howard Napier of Oregon.

In 2033, just days into his Governorship, Braun signed an executive order requiring businesses to either permit entry to vagrants or report them to local homeless shelters. The same year, he vetoed a Republican pushed bill attempting to reverse Governor Jay Inslee's pro net-neutrality policies. In 2034, he passed legislation raising taxes on corporations operating in Washington, and also restricting their dealings should they attempt to decamp to a different state as a result. Braun's economic policies have been credited with giving Washington State the esteemed status of having the best economy in the country during the Second Great Depression. In a highly controversial move, Braun signed legislation legalizing medical and recreational cocaine, making Washington State the first in the nation to do so. No stranger to polarization, he also passed a bill restricting homeschooling through the state legislature.

Braun met with the Seattle Seahawks after their victory in the 2034 Super Bowl, becoming an internet meme after humorously knocking over a lamp in the Governor's Mansion with the game winning football.

2036 presidential campaign[]

Libertarian primaries[]

BraunCampaigns — Braun at a rally in Phoenix, Arizona (2036)

Braun was considered the far and away favorite for the Libertarian nomination for President in 2036 even as the dust of 2032 was still settling. In 2035, Braun announced his candidacy in front of the Space Needle in Seattle. The excitement and grassroots support Braun conjured from the beginning of his campaign to the very end drew him comparisons to former President Barack Obama's successful campaign in 2008, particularly after his highly publicized appearance on The Tonight Show with Rob Gavagan, with some calling the interview the beginning of "Braunamania". Some also drew comparisons between the young statesman and other former Presidents including Teddy Roosevelt for his sense of humor, Franklin Delano Roosevelt for his personable and down-to-earth demeanor, John F. Kennedy for his youthful nature, and Jimmy Carter for his embrace of Christian-leftism and criticism of religious fundamentalism. Braun would later thank Obama during his inaugural address for paving the way for minority Presidents, and delivered a heartfelt eulogy at the funeral of Jimmy Carter in 2039.

The Libertarian primaries finally pitted Braun and Howard Napier against each other on a global stage for the first time ever, and the clash was just as nasty as anticipated. A pro-life, laissez-faire capitalist, Napier appealed to Libertarian voters to reject Braun's supposed "attempted hijacking" of the Party, and return to the days of former Texas Congressman and 1988 nominee Ron Paul. Braun on the other hand, maintained his position of libertarian-leftism and thus as a libertarian as indisputable, asking moderates and the libertarian-right to unite with the left-wing of their party over common ground such as immigration, peace, drug legalization, surveillance, abortion, and LGBTQIA rights. Braun and Napier had numerous heated exchanges during the primary debates, notable instances including Braun's labeling of Napier as a "fool" during a dust-up over homeschooling, and Napier's refusal to say whether or not he would embrace leftists in the Libertarian Party. Though Napier gave Braun a run for his money in Iowa, the primaries were controlled by Braun, and he gained presumptive nominee status after Napier dropped out following the results of the South Carolina caucus, where the latter expected to have his best performance.

Speculation over Braun's running mate ran rampant for months. Many believe he would form a unity ticket with Democrat David Hogg, while others suggested the possibility of a military figure like General Laura Richardson. In the end, Braun chose Gary Johnson, hoping to attract the free-market Libertarians who had supported Napier. Johnson was a controversial choice due to his advanced age. To voracious cheers and laughter from the audience, Johnson responded to the skepticism by doing push-ups on stage during a rally before rising and saying breathlessly into the microphone, "beat that, Todd Young."

At the Libertarian Nation Convention in Braun's home-city of Seattle, Braun and Johnson were both nominated without contention. The running mates' nomination would prove to garner the least of the convention's attention. David Hogg's emergence from backstage to speak before Braun's acceptance of the nomination endorsing his lifelong friend initially elicited stunned silence from the delegates, followed by thunderous applause. During Hogg's speech, he expressed a need for bipartisanship to dig America out of the Depression and unite the country, and while making it clear he had nothing against Democratic nominee and Mississippi Senator Jeramey Anderson personally, he genuinely agreed with Braun on more issues. Braun hugged Hogg as he came out on stage, and after Braun accepted the nomination, the convention closed to a life performance by Taylor Swift of her megahit classic "Shake it Off".

General election[]

For the first time in party history, the Libertarian nominee polled consistently in second place behind one of the two major parties. The Republicans were seen as having little to no chance of victory thanks to the Depression under Republican President Todd Young, and thus offered the President as a "sacrificial lamb" while they focused on salvaging their prospects in Congress. Thus, the election fell between Braun and Anderson by default.

Anderson was widely viewed as the favorite going into the general election, but was bruised after a grueling battle against progressive Maine Senator Justin Chenette. Many hardline progressives rejected Anderson, leaving Anderson to move farther to the left. Neoliberal leaders came out and stumped hard for Anderson, though this more often than not worsened the Democratic divide. Braun took advantage of Anderson's difficulties in appealing to the left, picking up many of their voters, and making up for the anarcho-capitalists and social conservatives who supported Adam Kokesh on the Constitution Party ticket. Anderson returned by tying Braun to communist leaders around the world, confusing voters on the former's campaign plank even further. It was agreed that most pundits that neoconservatives and neoliberals would support Anderson, while progressives and libertarians would support Braun, leaving independents to decide the election.

Thanks to his polling, Braun was invited to every debate, much to the chagrin of the Federal Election Commission. Each debate attracted millions of viewers, putting Braun's exceptional debate skills on full display. An award-winning member of his high school speech and debate team, Braun was considered to have won every debate, although the third and final debate saw 38% of respondents calling it a draw, as compared to 40% who said Braun won, 21% who said Anderson won, and 1% who said Young won. Many derided Anderson's performance as sleepy and unmotivated, while more still slammed the moderators for a perceived bias in the questions towards Anderson. The Vice Presidential debate saw Gary Johnson put on an unexpectedly animated showing against Democratic New Jersey Senator Josh Gottheimer, and Republican Vice President Alex Mooney. Johnson's folksy attitude and generally jovial nature endeared him to many Americans. Gottheimer meanwhile was slammed for his demeanor, with The Young Turks' Cenk Uygur calling him "condescending" and "arrogant". Braun and Johnson's efforts saw Libertarian fundraising explode during and after the debate season.

On election day, Braun watched the returns from his campaign HQ in Seattle surrounded by staff, family, and supporters. Initial results showed Anderson barely edging Braun with Young in dead-last. However, leaked emails later revealed collusion between the Anderson campaign and the FEC to rig the vote in several states. Braun withdrew his earlier concession, and while he called for peace in the U.S, he also pushed for a recount.

After weeks of riots, the FEC allowed a recount, and Braun was revealed to have defeated Anderson and Young in a landslide. At Braun's inauguration, he said "America rightfully belongs to anyone who accepts and believes in her God-given principles of equality, freedom, and compassion. I cannot promise utopia. What I can promise is that the American people regardless of gender, color or creed will face any and all problems that may come her way united not divided, forever and always. Muchas gracias, y Dios bendiga a los Estados Unidos de América".