Just eight months into his presidency , the terrorist attacks of September 11 , 2001 , suddenly transformed Bush into a wartime president . Bush 's approval ratings surged to near 90 % . Within a month , the forces of a coalition led by the United States entered Afghanistan , which had been sheltering Osama bin Laden , suspected mastermind of the September 11 attacks . By December , the Taliban had been removed , although a long and ongoing reconstruction would follow
terrorist attacks
September 11 attacks
2004 United States presidential election