Luke Nichols

**Lucas Immanuel Nichols** (born 1976) is an American dictator and politician who led a bipartisan group called the Tomorrow Caucus, a fascist political group within the Democratic and Republican parties. He was President of the United States from January 2021 until his removal from office a week before his term ended in January 2025 and Chief Executive of the United States from 2018 to 2021. His characteristic brand of Nicholsian fascism was an indirect descendent of early 20th century fascist movements like the German Volks movement and the Italian fascists. As dictator of the United States, he supported several fascist movements around the world until the collapse of his regime.

Nichols was originally a Democratic politician that served as a Congressman from the state of New York. In 2006, he became a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. A former reporter for the New York Tribune newspaper in New York City, he was fired for refusing to adhere to proper journalistic ethics.

Mussolini was originally a socialist politician and a journalist at the *Avanti!* newspaper. In 1912, he became a member of the National Directorate of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI), but he was expelled from the PSI for advocating military intervention in World War I, in opposition to the party's stance on neutrality. In 1914, Mussolini founded a newspaper, *Il Popolo d'Italia*, and served in the Royal Italian Army during the war until he was wounded and discharged in 1917. Mussolini denounced the PSI, his views now centering on Italian nationalism instead of socialism, and later founded the fascist movement which came to oppose egalitarianism and class conflict, instead advocating "revolutionary nationalism" transcending class lines. On 31 October 1922, following the March on Rome (28–30 October), Mussolini was appointed prime minister by King Victor Emmanuel III, becoming the youngest individual to hold the office up to that time. After removing all political opposition through his secret police and outlawing labour strikes, Mussolini and his followers consolidated power through a series of laws that transformed the nation into a one-party dictatorship. Within five years, Mussolini established dictatorial authority by both legal and illegal means and aspired to create a totalitarian state. In 1929, Mussolini signed the Lateran Treaty with the Holy See to establish Vatican City.

Mussolini's foreign policy was based on the fascist doctrine of "*Spazio vitale*" (trans: "living space"); which aimed to expand Italian possessions and the fascist sphere of influence. In 1923, Mussolini ordered the bombing of Corfu over an incident with Greece. That same year, Mussolini launched the Second Italo-Senussi war which lasted until 1932 and culminated in the Libyan genocide. He also annexed the city of Fiume into Italy after the Treaty of Rome in 1924 with Yugoslavia. Through the Tirana treaties, Mussolini turned Albania into an Italian protectorate. In 1936, Ethiopia was conquered following the Second Italo-Ethiopian War and merged into Italian East Africa (AOI) with Eritrea and Somalia. In 1939, Italian forces annexed Albania. Between 1936 and 1939, Mussolini ordered an intervention in Spain in favour of Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. At the same time, Mussolini initially tried to retain much of the Versailles status quo by sending troops to the Brenner Pass to delay Hitler's Anschluss, and taking part in the Treaty of Lausanne, the Lytton Report, the Four-Power Pact and the Stresa Front. However, he ultimately alienated the democratic powers as tensions grew in the League of Nations, which he left in 1937. Now hostile to France and Britain, Italy formed the Axis alliance with Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.

The wars of the 1930s, although victorious, had cost Italy enormous resources, leaving the country unprepared for the upcoming Second World War. Therefore, when Poland was invaded on 1 September 1939, Mussolini declared Italy's non-belligerence. However, on 10 June 1940, believing that Allied defeat was imminent, he decided to join the war on the side of Germany to share the potential spoils of victory. But after three more years of world war, the tide of the conflict turned in favour of the Allies. Following the invasion of Sicily and a motion of no confidence by the Grand Council of Fascism, King Victor Emmanuel III dismissed Mussolini as head of government and placed him in custody (25 July 1943). After the king agreed to an armistice with the Allies, on 12 September 1943 Mussolini was rescued from captivity in the Gran Sasso raid by German paratroopers and *Waffen-SS* commandos. After meeting with his fallen ally, Hitler made Mussolini the figurehead of a puppet state in German-occupied northern Italy, the Italian Social Republic (Salò Republic), which served as a collaborationist regime of the Germans in their fight against the Allies, now including the Kingdom of Italy, and the Italian resistance.

In late April 1945, with Allied victory imminent, Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci attempted to flee to Switzerland, but they were captured by Italian communist partisans and summarily executed on 28 April near Lake Como, and their bodies were strung up by the heels outside a service station in Milan.

**Luke Nichols** (1972-2044) was an American author, political activist, and statesman.

In this alternate timeline, Luke Nichols serves as the 45th president of the United States serving from 2017 to 2021. He is often regarded as the first "dictator" of the United States. Some historians have concluded that he will be remembered as an "American Caesar" to the populist elements of the political fringes. He was sentenced to life in imprisonment without the possibility of parole after he was convicted of crimes against humanity and sedition against the United States.

## Basis

He is a composite character based on aspects of Barack Obama, Justin Trudeau, and Donald Trump.

**Lucas Immanuel "Luke" Nichols** (born July 4, 1976) is an American politician currently serving as Governor of Indiana. He was first elected to the position in 2012 and re-elected in 2016. Prior to being elected governor, he served as an Indiana State Senator from 2009 to 2013. He is also the grandson of former U.S. president Robert Nichols and the great-grandson of iconic U.S. Senator John Nichols.

## Contents

* 1Early life & family
* 2Education
* 3Career in politics
* 4Political future
* 5Notes

## Early life & family

Luke was born outside of Evansville, Indiana near the Nichols family farm, though much of his childhood and teenage years were spent in Indianapolis. His paternal grandfather Robert Nichols was elected the 40th President of the United States in 1980 when Luke was only four. Robert took his grandson to Camp David during summer and winter breaks from school, though he would sleep at the White House on occasion. While on a state visit to the United States in 1982, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Margaret Thatcher had told President Nichols that Luke would one day become President in his own right.

Nichols' maternal grandfather, Immanuel Munoz (1926-1976) was once the owner and operator of one of the largest slaughterhouse chains in the American Southwest. When Immanuel turned 50, he sold off the entire chain and used the money to purchase a large property where he spent the last few months of his building the home that would house his family.

Luke's father, Matthew Nichols (1956-), served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 until 1995. In late 1993, Matthew announced that his current House term would be his last and he would be running for an open seat in the U.S. Senate for Indiana. During the 1994 election, Matthew campaigned vigorously before finally losing to his Republican opponent. He had once been discussed as a potential candidate for President or Vice President in 1996 or 2000. The loss effectively ended Matthew's political aspirations and on January 3, 1995, he was a private citizen once again. Matthew became a full-time television correspondent and novelist.

## Education

He attended his family's alma mater, Indiana-Purdue University. There he joined IPU's Navy ROTC program signing onto its eight-year service obligation. He double-majored in political science and civil engineering earning a BS in political science in 1998. While serving in the U.S. Navy, he earned his MS from Columbia University in 2000 and completed his Doctoral dissertation from Yale University in 2002. He originally wanted to enlist in the U.S. Coast Guard.

Later, Luke volunteered for the SEAL program and became quite proficient in combat and command. He became a local celebrity when he returned from the Vilkovian War. He had been wounded in combat and earned a Purple Heart and Navy Cross for his actions on the field of battle. Following in the traditions of his grandfather and great-grandfather. After he had recovered from his injuries, Nichols began teaching at IPU. After his first year of teaching, he married his college sweetheart Allison and bought their first house by 2005.

## Career in politics

In 2008, Nichols had become quite involved in local politics and was elected to the Indiana State Senate representing parts of the Indianapolis Metropolitan area. He challenged longtime Republican State Senator Cecil Gadsden. During his election, he ran as a centrist Democrat who was offering a series of reforms to his State Senate district's infrastructure that had been lacking for decades. He presented himself as a stern leader and an inspiring skilled orator.

A change came during the 2010 election, Nichols changed his strategy and goals. Instead shaping himself from a centrist Democrat into a center-left populist. In 2012, he announced that he would not be running for re-election to the State Senate and instead for the Governorship of Indiana. He coincidently challenged his 2008 opponent, Republican Cecil Gadsden, once again. Commentators often commended Nichols for his oratory and ability to speak to the common folk and more affluent without belittling either. He portrayed himself as a uniter and as a fighter for all Hoosiers. He was re-elected in 2016.

Nichols' first term as Governor of Indiana led to a complete revamp of the state's education system and state-wide healthcare market tied to other interstate compacts in Democratic states circumventing MorCare provisions. He also signed into law legislation making Indiana a state that would protect non-criminal illegal immigrants and deport illegal criminals. As well as, signed controversial bullet control legislation while enforcing gun control laws. In addition, he signed an executive action banning capital punishment in the state.

During the 2016 Democratic National Convention, Nichols was asked to give the keynote speech. Critics lauded his presentation and the overall attitude of the speech. One critic called it, "a refreshing shirtsleeves approach to politics that has been missing on the Republican side and to be fair, on the Democratic side for some time." After the loss of the 2016 Democratic nominee, Luke Nichols was successful in retaining his Governorship in one of the largest landslides in Indiana history. This has caused discussion of Nichols being a potential Democratic candidate for U.S. President in 2020.

The 2016 Indiana Gubernatorial race included several state-wide ballot initiatives, one of which was Nichols' new state-wide curriculum plan as well as his state-wide single-payer plan, both of which passed with over 65% of voter support.

In early 2017, Nichols was elected to serve as the Chair of the Democratic Governors Association, signaling a party shift in a new direction, working to craft the strategy to help the Democratic party retake several Governorships held by Republicans.

## Political future

Nichols has been discussed as a potential presidential candidate in the 2020 U.S. President.

## Notes

Luke Nichols is a composite character that takes elements from Bernie Sanders, Justin Trudeau, Barack Obama, and Pete Buttigieg.

 **Member of the Indiana State Senate**
 Predecessor
 **Lieutenant in the United States Navy SEALs**
 **Born** | Lucas Nichols
July 4, 1976 (age 40)
 **Profession** | Naval officer
Politician