Editing Lex Luthor (section)

===== President of the United States =====
[[File:Lex2000.jpg|right|thumb|upright|''Lex 2000'' #1, featuring Lex Luthor as President of the United States, cover art by [[Glen Orbik]]]]

Deciding to turn to politics, Luthor becomes [[President of the United States]], winning the election on a platform of promoting technological progress. His first action as president is to take a proposed moratorium on fossil-based fuels to the [[United States Congress|U.S. Congress]]. On the night of the election, Batman threatens that Luthor can keep the kryptonite ring or the White House but not both. Later on, Superman, Batman and Lois Lane seemingly try to steal the ring only to be thwarted. In actuality, they manipulated Luthor into retrieving a fake while Batman keeps the actual ring. Superman, upon learning that Lex Luthor was about to be elected president, flew off in a fit of rage and split one of Saturn's small moons in half with one fly through.<ref>''Lex Luthor 2000'' #1</ref>

Before he takes office in the [[White House]], Luthor cuts ties with his company LexCorp, turning over leadership to [[Talia al Ghul]]. Luthor's popularity is assisted by the extreme unpopularity of the previous administration's mishandling of the [[Gotham City]] earthquake crisis (as depicted in the ''[[No Man's Land (comics)|No Man's Land]]'' storyline in the Batman titles), and his own seemingly heroic efforts to rebuild Gotham before it rejoins the United States. [[Batman]] learns Luthor attempted to take control of Gotham by forging deeds for its lands in his own name. This results in Bruce Wayne severing all commercial ties between the U.S. government and his company, [[Wayne Enterprises]]. In response to Wayne Enterprises severing ties with his government, Luthor arranges the murder of Wayne's lover, [[Vesper Fairchild]], and frames Wayne for the murder (as seen in ''[[Bruce Wayne: Fugitive]]''), the plan being more successful than Luthor anticipated when his chosen assassin of [[David Cain (comics)|David Cain]] realizes Wayne's identity as Batman and sets up a complex frame.

Soon after Luthor discovers evidence that leads him to conclude Clark Kent is Superman, [[Imperiex]] destroys [[Topeka, Kansas]]. Luthor is warned of the impending attack beforehand but alerts no one so Earth can enter a great war and he can prove his leadership to the world. Luthor coordinates the U.S. Army, Earth's superheroes, and a number of untrustworthy alien forces to battle the main villain of the story arc. Although Lex Luthor is able to devise a plan to destroy Imperiex's body, the plan is subsequently hijacked by Brainiac 13, requiring Superman to propose a new plan where Darkseid and Luthor coordinate their efforts to defeat Imperiex by sending him back in time. Following the battle, Superman retrieves Lena and returns her to Lex, advising Luthor to stop trying to be a god and just be a man. Soon afterward, Superman confronts [[Manchester Black]]. Realizing Superman is a true hero and therefore true heroism is possible, Black repents for his actions against Superman by removing Luthor knowledge of Superman's secret identity.

====== Presidential appointees ======
;Cabinet officials
{{Infobox U.S. Cabinet
|align = none
|Name = Luthor
|President = Lex Luthor
|President start = 2001
|President end = 2003
|Vice President = [[Pete Ross]]
|Vice President start = 2001
|Vice President end = 2003
|State = 
|State start = 2001
|State end = 2003
|Treasury = 
|Treasury start = 2001
|Treasury end = 2003
|Defense = [[Sam Lane (comics)|Sam Lane]]
|Defense start = 2001
|Defense end = 2001
|Justice = 
|Justice start = 2001
|Justice end = 2003
|Interior = 
|Interior start = 2001
|Interior end = 2003
|Commerce = 
|Commerce start = 2001
|Commerce end = 2003
|Agriculture = 
|Agriculture start = 2001
|Agriculture end = 2003
|Labor = 
|Labor start = 2001
|Labor end = 2003
|Education = [[Black Lightning|Jefferson Pierce]]
|Education start = 2001
|Education end = 2003
|Housing and Urban Development = 
|Housing and Urban Development start = 2001
|Housing and Urban Development end = 2003
|Transportation = 
|Transportation start = 2001
|Transportation end = 2003
|Energy = 
|Energy start = 2001
|Energy end = 2003
|Veterans Affairs = 
|Veterans Affairs start = 2001
|Veterans Affairs end = 2003
|Chief of Staff = 
|Chief of Staff start = 2001
|Chief of Staff end = 2003
|Joint Chief = Gen. [[Sgt. Rock|Frank Rock]]
|Joint Chief start = 2001
|Joint Chief end = 2003
}}

;Other appointments
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Office
!Name
!Term
|-
|United States Secretary of Metahuman Affairs
|[[Amanda Waller]]
|2001–2003
|-
|[[White House Press Secretary]]
|[[Cat Grant]]
|2001–2003
|}