h is jailed in New Jersey for rowdiness following a football game, his father, Texas Congressman George H. W. Bush (James Cromwell), states that he will help his son, but for the last time. Following graduation from Yale, Bush takes a job at an oil patch back in his native Texas, but he quits after only a few weeks. Shortly after this and a proposing to his girlfriend while drunk, "Junior" reveals his real aspirations in a father-son talk: working in professional baseball, in some capacity. Soon after, he is accepted into Harvard Business School with the help of his father. Later that night after drinking heavily, he crashes his car into the family estate and challenges his father to a fistfight his brother Jeb intervenes and reveals Bush go got into Harvard Business which stops anything happening. In 1977, Bush announces he will run for Congress in Texas. At a barbecue, Bush meets Laura Welch (Elizabeth Banks), his future wife. During the congressional debate, Bush is criticized by his opponent, Democrat Kent Hance (Paul Rae), who says that Bush is not a "real Texan" and has spent campaign contributions to throw an alcohol-fueled party for underage Texas Tech University students. Bush does poorly in the debate and loses the election, but with the highest number of votes for a Republican candidate in the state's history. Angered by the loss, he declares that he'll "never be out-Texas'd or out-Christianed again". After turning forty in 1986, Bush becomes a born-again Christian, gives up alcohol, and somewhat mends his relationship with his father. The elder Bush invites him to assist with what becomes his successful 1988 presidential campaign, though the younger Bush suspects that he only was asked because his brother Jeb was busy. Bush's political advisor, Karl Rove (Toby Jones), tells him that he has the potential to make a name for himself, but has not yet done anything with his life. Bush becomes the owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team while his father oversees the victory of the 1991 Gulf War. Allied forces win the war in 100 hours, but the elder Bush decides not to invade Iraq and overthrow Saddam Hussein. When his father loses the 1992 election, Bush Jr blames the loss on the decision not to depose Hussein. Bush decides to run for Governor of Texas despite his parents' opposition. In 1999 after deciding to run for President An election win prompts a successful presidential bid in 2000. Following the September 11 attacks, Bush plans a war with Iraq, and labels America's enemies ? specifically Iraq, North Korea, and Iran ? the "axis of evil". In 2002, Bush begins searching for evidence that Hussein was creating nuclear weapons, and has the army prepared. Bush's staff supports him, with the exception of Secretary of State Colin Powell (Jeffrey Wright), who says that invading Iraq would destabilize the country. Powell is supportive of Bush somewhat but generally is overruled by Vice President Dick Cheney (Richard Dreyfuss) and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (Scott Glenn), who insist that the war ? deliberately waged without an exit strategy ? would secure the U.S.' status as sole global superpower while spreading democracy throughout the Middle East. In his 2003 State of the Union Address, Bush states that "Either you're with us, or you're with the terrorists." In March 2003, the U.S. invades Iraq and, at first, the war appears to be a success, and Bush gives his infamous "Mission Accomplished" speech on an aircraft carrier. When it becomes clear that there are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, Bush learns that the responsibility for finding them had been relegated far down the chain of command. Bush also discovers that Saddam Hussein gambled his regime and his life on the assumption that Bush was bluffing. Bush is asked in a press conference what mistakes he made as President, a question that leaves him flustered and speechless. That night, Bush has a nightmare in which his father accuses him of ruining the Bush legacy, which he claims was intended for Jeb. Later, he dreams of playing center field in a baseball game. A pop fly is hit in his direction. As Bush attempts to catch the ball, it disappears. The story ends intentionally in 2004, before Bush's second term in the White House is ruined by the Karl Rove affair, the protracted war in Iraq, and Hurricane Katrina.

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