The Brief November 4, 2025
Former Vice President Dick Cheney dies at 84, a look at Election Day 2025, and more
Dick Cheney, the Republican who served alongside President George W. Bush for two terms between 2001 and 2009 and is commonly regarded as one of the most influential Vice Presidents in U.S. history, has died at age 84.
The 46th Vice President, a leading force behind the invasion of Iraq and the "War on Terror," passed away on Monday night as a result of complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, per a statement from his family. (Cheney had long suffered with cardiovascular issues. He experienced the first of five heart attacks at age 37, and eventually underwent a heart transplant in 2012.)
“For decades, Dick Cheney served our nation, including as White House Chief of Staff, Wyoming’s Congressman, Secretary of Defense, and Vice President of the United States,” read the family's tribute, acknowledging that Cheney served father-son Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.
“Dick Cheney was 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. We are grateful beyond measure for all Dick Cheney did for our country. And we are blessed beyond measure to have loved and been loved by this noble giant of a man.”
Cheney is survived by his “beloved wife of 61 years, Lynne, his daughters, Liz and Mary, and other family members [who] were with him as he passed.”
Read More: Dick Cheney Was the Most Powerful—and Polarizing—Vice President in U.S. History
The former Vice President's daughter, Liz Cheney, is an attorney and the former Representative of Wyoming. She, along with her late father, notably incurred the wrath of President Donald Trump when she became a vocal critic of him. Liz was ostracized by Trump-backed Republicans after she sat as one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over allegations that he incited the assault on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Cheney released a statement announcing his endorsement of Democratic nominee, then-Vice President Kamala Harris for President over Trump in September 2024.
Speaking out against Trump, Cheney argued that he could “never be trusted with power again.”
Trump responded by calling the former Vice President an “irrelevant RINO”— which stands for Republican in Name Only and is a term used by some to describe Republicans who are viewed as being disloyal to the party.
Cheney, a polarizing figure, is most often mentioned in regard to his involvement in the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and leaves behind a complicated legacy.
In a 2006 interview with TIME, the then-Vice President was asked how he thought, or would like, history to judge the Bush-Cheney Administration.
"My guess is that the judgment will be very favorable," Cheney replied, before discussing the Administration's actions after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.
"With 9/11, we have been very aggressive in terms of both carrying the fight to the enemy, going after the terrorists, going after the state sponsors of terror, going after those who could conceivably equip the terrorists with deadlier technologies than they’ve used before," Cheney said. "The ultimate threat here isn’t 19 guys armed with airliners; it’s 19 guys in the middle of one of our cities with a nuclear weapon. That’s the ultimate threat we have to deal with these days. And all of that was brought home by 9/11."
Born Richard Bruce Cheney in Lincoln, Nebraska, on Jan. 30, 1941, the former Vice President went to the Hill in the late 60s to serve as a congressional fellow. He was later picked by Donald Rumsfeld as his deputy White House chief of staff under President Gerald Ford and then succeeded his mentor in 1975, becoming the new chief of staff at just 34 years old.
Cheney experienced a rapid ascent in Washington, serving as the Secretary of Defense before eventually becoming George W. Bush's Vice President in 2001. He then had a very public, embattled fall from grace when the secret torture and surveillance programs he had put in place post-9/11 were uncovered and he argued with the Supreme Court about access to documents from a task force he led.
As Washington, D.C. awoke on Tuesday morning to the news of Cheney's passing, tributes started to pour in.
Leading the way, former President George W. Bush referred to Cheney's death as "a loss to the nation and a sorrow to his friends."
You can read his statement in full, below:
"[My wife] Laura and I will remember Dick Cheney for the decent, honorable man that he was. History will remember him as among the finest public servants of his generation—a patriot who brought integrity, high intelligence, and seriousness of purpose to every position he held.
As a young White House aide and chief of staff, a Congressman, a Secretary of Defense, and my Vice President, Dick earned the confidence and high opinion of five Presidents. I asked him to join my ticket in 2000 after first enlisting him to help me find the best running mate. In our long discussions about the qualities a vice president should have—deep experience, mature judgment, character, loyalty—I realized that Dick Cheney was the one I needed. I’m still grateful that he was at my side for the eight years that followed.
Dick was a calm and steady presence in the White House amid great national challenges. I counted on him for his honest, forthright counsel, and he never failed to give his best. He held to his convictions and prioritized the freedom and security of the American people. For those two terms in office, and throughout his remarkable career, Dick Cheney’s service always reflected credit on the country he loved.
Dick’s love for America was second only to his family. Laura and I have shared our deepest sympathies with Vice President Cheney’s wife Lynne and their daughters and granddaughters of whom he was so deeply proud. We are praying for Lynne, Liz, Mary, and the Cheney family as they honor a great man."
Despite Cheney's disagreements with the Trump Administration, House Speaker Mike Johnson
said the "scripture is very clear, we give honor where honor is due."
"Even when we had political differences as somebody later in life, you have to honor the sacrifices and the service they gave to their country," Johnson emphasized.
Flags at the White House were lowered to half-staff on Tuesday morning, in tribute of Cheney.
Republican Rep. Steve Womack of Arkansas has also said his "prayers are with the Cheney family."
"Dick Cheney was a dedicated public servant and committed to the safety and security of his fellow Americans," said Womack. "I first met him when he visited my battalion (Gunslingers) deployed to the Sinai, Egypt in 2002, and had the opportunity to reconnect with him years later fishing for cutthroat trout on the Snake River."
Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming said his state "mourns the passing" of Cheney.
"From high school football star to White House Chief of Staff, Congressman, Secretary of Defense, and Vice President, Dick’s career has few peers in American life. His unflinching leadership shaped many of the biggest moments in domestic and U.S. foreign policy for decades," said Barrasso. "Dick will be remembered as a towering figure who helped guide the course of history in Wyoming, the United States, and around the world. My prayers are with Lynne, with Liz and Mary, and his grandchildren as they celebrate an incredible man."
Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said Cheney "dedicated his life to serving our nation" and remembered his love of "his family and country."
Republican Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma said that while he did not agree with Cheney on everything, they had built up a strong working relationship over a forty-year period.
"Dick Cheney was a controversial and often divisive political figure, but he was deeply loyal to his family, his country, his political party, and his conservative convictions," noted Cole. "As a former Secretary of Defense, Cheney was a proud and effective proponent for the United States military. He always believed that American leadership was indispensable in a dangerous and chaotic world."
Republican Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama highlighted Cheney's leadership after 9/11.
"He was a dedicated public servant and helped our country stand tall during pivotal times such as 9/11. His mission was preserving our freedoms in this country, and we thank him for his service," she said.
Republican Rep. Troy Balderson of Ohio offered his condolences and referred to Cheney as "a dedicated public servant and steadfast leader who devoted his life to serving the nation he loved."
International figures in the world of politics have also remembered Cheney.
In a statement shared by his office, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said: "I heard with great sorrow of the passing of former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, a great friend and steadfast supporter of the State of Israel. My deepest condolences to his family and to the American people."
—Callum Sutherland contributed reporting.
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