Some neocons are Republicans, like the presidents between from the 1970s to the 2000s. For example, George W. Bush started the 2003 invasion of Iraq. His neocon friends include Paul Wolfowitz, Elliott Abrams, Richard Perle, and Paul Bremer. Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld also listened to these neocons. Together they supported the defense of Israel and the American invasion of the Middle East.