Washington D.C. — Former US Vice President Dick Cheney, a dominant Republican figure in Washington for decades and a key advocate for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, has died at the age of 84.
His family confirmed the death in a statement, attributing it to complications from pneumonia, cardiac disease, and vascular disease. They remembered him as a “great and good man who taught his children and grandchildren to love our country, and to live lives of courage, honor, love, kindness, and fly fishing.”
Service and Influence
Mr. Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. A former Wyoming congressman and Secretary of Defense under President George H.W. Bush, Cheney’s selection as running mate in 2000 was highly influential.
During his vice presidency, Mr. Cheney vigorously pushed for an expansion of presidential powers, citing the erosion of the office since the Watergate scandal. He also significantly expanded the authority of the Vice President’s office, creating a national security team that operated as a major power center within the administration.
The Iraq War and Controversy
Mr. Cheney was one of the most outspoken officials pushing for the March 2003 invasion of Iraq. He repeatedly warned of the danger posed by Iraq’s alleged stockpile of “weapons of mass destruction,” though no such weapons were ever found.
He controversially defended “enhanced” interrogation techniques—including waterboarding and sleep deprivation—which critics, including the UN and the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, labeled as torture. Furthermore, his suggestions linking Iraq to al Qaeda and the 9/11 attacks were later discredited by the 9/11 Commission.
Later Political Stance and Personal Life
Despite his deep Republican roots and long-standing status as a foe of the political left, Mr. Cheney broke with many in his party late in life, particularly regarding President Donald Trump. His daughter, Liz Cheney, an influential Republican politician, lost her House seat after voting to impeach Trump.
Supporting his daughter’s stance, Dick Cheney stated that he would vote for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in 2024, declaring, “In our nation’s 248 year-history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump.”
Mr. Cheney was troubled by heart problems for much of his life, suffering his first heart attack at age 37 and undergoing a heart transplant in 2012. He was born Richard Bruce Cheney in Lincoln, Nebraska, on January 30, 1941.
