Former 46th Vice President Remembered as a Towering Figure Whose Hardline Stance Later Put Him at Odds with Trump’s Populist GOP
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Dick Cheney, the 46th Vice President of the United States and a central figure in American politics for decades, has died at the age of 84. The family confirmed he passed away due to complications of pneumonia , cardiac and vascular disease. He was with his wife of 61 years, Lynne, and his daughters, Liz and Mary.
Cheney, who served alongside President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009, was widely regarded as the most powerful modern vice president. He was the chief architect of the “war on terror,” famously adopting a hawkish stance immediately following the September 11, 2001, attacks.
Legacy of the War and Political Polarization
Cheney’s tenure was defined by his influence in the decision to invade Iraq in 2003, based on intelligence regarding weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and alleged links to al Qaeda that were later shown to be faulty or exaggerated. His actions also shaped the controversial policies of “enhanced interrogations” (criticized as torture) and the indefinite detention of suspects at Guantanamo Bay.
- Iraq War Foundation: Cheney was a primary voice promoting the US assault on Saddam Hussein, despite post-war inquiries concluding that evidence regarding WMDs was improperly portrayed.
- Approval Rating: He left office in 2009 with a low approval rating of 31%, according to the Pew Research Center, having become a symbol of the anti-terror campaign’s excesses.
- No Regrets: To the end of his life, Cheney maintained that the decisions—including the Iraq War and enhanced interrogations—were necessary and that he “would do it again in a minute” to prevent another attack on the U.S. mainland.
Late-Life Political Divide
Despite his deeply conservative record, Cheney became largely ostracized from the modern Republican Party due to his intense criticism of President Donald Trump, whom he publicly branded a “coward” and the “greatest-ever threat to our republic.”
In a remarkable political coda reflecting his disdain for Trump’s populist shift, Cheney cast his final presidential vote for a liberal Democrat, Kamala Harris, in the 2024 election.
A Life in Washington and Personal Struggles
Before serving as Vice President, Cheney held multiple senior roles, including:
- White House Chief of Staff under President Gerald Ford (1975).
- Six-term Wyoming Representative in the U.S. House (1978-1989).
- Defense Secretary under President George H. W. Bush, successfully directing Operation Desert Storm (1989-1993).
- CEO of Halliburton Co.
Cheney survived numerous health crises throughout his adult life, starting with his first heart attack at age 37 in 1978. He lived many years after receiving a heart transplant in 2012, which he hailed as “the gift of life itself.”
Former President George W. Bush described Cheney as a “decent, honorable man” and a “patriot who brought integrity, high intelligence, and seriousness of purpose to every position.”
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