Former Vice President Dick Cheney dies at 84
by Danielle Haynes · UPINov. 4 (UPI) -- Dick Cheney, a staunch Republican who served as the 46th vice president under George W. Bush, has died, his family announced Tuesday. He was 84.
He died Monday night of complications of pneumonia, and cardiac and vascular disease, his family said in a statement.
"His beloved wife of 61 years, Lynne, his daughters, Liz and Mary, and other family members were with him as he passed," the statement read.
"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 measures to have loved and been loved by this noble giant of a man."
Born Richard Bruce Cheney on Jan. 30, 1941, in Lincoln, Neb., would grow up to become one of the most influential figures in government over a more than three-decade career.
In 1975, he became the youngest White House chief of staff in history, serving former President Gerald Ford for just over a year.
Cheney then represented Wyoming's only congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives for 10 years, from 1979 to 1989. His committee assignments at the time included chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee. He also served as chairman of the House Republican Conference and House Republican whip.
During the presidency of George H.W. Bush, the Senate confirmed Cheney as secretary of Defense, where he oversaw the United States' invasion of Panama in 1989 and the Operation Desert Storm phase of the Gulf War in Iraq.
Cheney briefly retired from politics after the end of President George H.W. Bush's term in 1993. From 1995 to 2000, he was chairman of the board and CEO of Halliburton, an oil services company that later came under fire for allegedly overcharging the U.S. Defense Department and getting preferential government contracts during the Gulf War.
Cheney resigned from Halliburton upon being announced as then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush's running mate in the 2000 presidential election. After a Supreme Court battle over a narrow vote in Florida, the two were declared winners of the race, and Cheney became the 46th vice president of the United States.
During his time at the White House, Cheney became instrumental in the United States' response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, helping to develop President George W. Bush's so-called war on terror. Though the bipartisan Sept. 11 commission deemed that Iraq had no involvement with al-Qaida's attack on the United States, Cheney pushed the connection in his support for the Iraq War.
Cheney was a polarizing figure during the younger Bush administration, facing criticism for his support of torturing terror suspects, expanding the powers of the presidency; denying the science behind climate change; and even breaking with his party in support of same-sex marriage.
After his time in office, Cheney continued his political activity, hosting fundraisers for Republican figures and being vocal about various policies and political figures he agreed and disagreed with.
In 2018, he was the subject of filmmaker Adam McKay's black comedy Vice, starring Christian Bale as Cheney in his rise to becoming vice president. Bale won a Golden Globe for Best Actor for his role.
Cheney had a long history of cardiovascular disease, having five heart attacks throughout his life, including one just after the election that made him vice president.
His daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., followed him into politics, representing the same congressional district in Wyoming as he did for a decade.
Notable deaths of 2025
Former Vice President Dick Cheney
Former Vice President Dick Cheney speaks during an event commemorating the centennial of President Ronald Reagan's birth at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara, Calif., on February 5, 2011. Cheney, a staunch Republican who served as the 46th vice president under George W. Bush, died at the age of 84 on November 3. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo