President George W. Bush (right) and the delayed Vice President Dick Cheney in the Oval Office on January 24, 2002. (Photo from the National Archives)
Former Vice President Dick Cheney, an architect and chief practitioner of neoconservative foreign policy who was an influential figure among a generation of Republicans, died Monday.
According to a statement from his family published by several news outlets, Cheney died at the age of 84 from complications of pneumonia and heart and vascular disease.
Cheney’s decades in Washington included stints as White (*84*) chief of staff under President Gerald Ford; as a member of the U.S. (*84*) of Representatives from Wyoming from 1979 to 1989; and as Secretary of Defense under President George HW Bush.
Cheney then served as vice president under Bush’s son George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009.
Cheney was best known for his aggressive foreign policy to protect American interests, including as a leading proponent of the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
That war, in which nearly 5,000 U.S. soldiers and countless Iraqis died over eight years without proof that the ruling Saddam Hussein regime had weapons of mass destruction or any connection to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, turned public opinion against the neoconservatives.
Cheney kept a relatively low profile after leaving office, aside from supporting his daughter Liz Cheney for the U.S. (*84*) seat he once held. After a fifth heart attack, he underwent a heart transplant in 2012.
Cheney argues with Trump
President Donald Trump criticized the Iraq War and George W. Bush’s administration in his first campaign for the White (*84*), leading to a split within the Republican Party in which Trump ultimately prevailed.
Trump’s feud with the Cheneys later intensified while Liz Cheney held the U.S. (*84*) seat in Wyoming.
After voting for Trump twice, Liz Cheney continued to strongly criticize Trump’s involvement in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, and later served as vice chairwoman of the (*84*) committee investigating the matter.
The younger Cheney’s involvement in this investigation led to her being expelled from the (*84*) Republican leadership and ultimately from her (*84*) seat.
In 2022, Dick Cheney, largely retired from public life, appeared in an ad for his daughter’s re-election campaign.
He wore a huge cowboy hat and spoke directly to the camera. He called Trump a coward who “tried to steal the last election by using lies and violence to stay in power after voters rejected him.”
“He lost his election, and he lost a lot,” Cheney said. “I know it. He knows it. Deep down, I think most Republicans know it.”
In the 2024 election, both Liz and Dick Cheney supported Democrat Kamala Harris against Trump.
Trump made no official statement about Cheney’s death on Tuesday.
At a White (*84*) news conference on Tuesday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump was “aware of Cheney’s death” and that White (*84*) flags had been lowered to half-staff in accordance with the law.
She did not answer questions about Trump’s involvement in the funeral arrangements or whether he had spoken to members of the Cheney family.
Praise for Cheney’s patriotism
Most other senior officials across party lines in the nation’s capital sent congratulations to the Cheney family and recognized the former vice president as an influential figure.
“Dick was a calm and steady presence in the White House in the midst of great national challenges,” George W. Bush wrote in a statement. “I counted on him for honest, direct advice, and he never failed to do his best. He stood firm in his convictions and prioritized the freedom and security of the American people. During these two terms in office and throughout his distinguished career, Dick Cheney’s service was always a mark of honor for the country he loved.”
President Joe Biden praised Cheney’s commitment to public service and his family.
“Guided by strong conservative values, Dick Cheney dedicated his life to public service,” he wrote
Former (*84*) Speaker Nancy Pelosi also praised Cheney’s willingness to defy Trump.
“Dick Cheney was a patriotic American who loved his country,” she wrote. “Although we disagreed on most policy issues, his patriotism was evident when he returned to the House of Representatives to commemorate the first anniversary of January 6. We all saw then how proud Vice President Cheney was to see his daughter Liz follow in her father’s footsteps to serve in the House with courage and integrity.”
U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune praised Cheney in a speech Tuesday, saying he “played a key role in shaping policy on many of the most consequential issues of his time.”
“Dick Cheney was a lifelong public servant who believed deeply in our country and brought his considerable knowledge and intelligence to his service,” said Thune, a Republican from South Dakota.
(*84*) Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, praised Cheney’s public service at the start of his daily news conference.
“Scripture is clear: We give credit where credit is due,” Johnson said. “As you know, Dick Cheney served as vice president, he served as secretary of defense. He served, of course, as a congressman in Wyoming and as the youngest chief of staff to a president in the history of the country. And so he certainly deserves this honor.”
Sen. John Barrasso, a Republican and the longest-serving member of Wyoming’s congressional delegation, said in a social media post that the state “mourns the death of Vice President Dick Cheney.”
“Dick’s career has few equals in American life,” Barrasso wrote. “His unwavering leadership shaped many of the greatest moments in U.S. domestic and foreign policy for decades. Dick will be remembered as an outstanding figure who helped shape the course of history in Wyoming, the United States and around the world.”
Shauneen Miranda contributed to this report.
