Former United States Vice President Dick Cheney has passed away at the age of 84.
According to a statement from his family, Cheney died on Tuesday from complications related to pneumonia and heart disease. He was surrounded by his wife of 61 years, Lynne Cheney, and their daughters, Liz and Mary, at the time of his passing.
“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,” the family said in a tribute.
Cheney served as Vice President under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009, becoming one of the most powerful and controversial figures in modern American politics.
Born in Nebraska in 1941 and raised in Wyoming, Cheney began his public service as a congressman before rising to prominence as Secretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush during the Gulf War.
As vice president, Cheney played a defining role in shaping U.S. foreign policy after the September 11, 2001 attacks, strongly advocating for the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. He was a central figure behind the claims that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction—allegations that later proved false but paved the way for the 2003 Iraq War.
A loyal ally and mentor to President Bush, Cheney was widely regarded as the administration’s most influential voice on national security and defense.
His political career, however, was often shadowed by controversies—from his hawkish policies and defense of CIA interrogation practices to a hunting accident in which he accidentally shot a friend.
Cheney faced numerous health challenges throughout his life, suffering five heart attacks and undergoing multiple surgeries, including a quadruple bypass and pacemaker implant.
Despite retreating from the public eye in later years, his influence on U.S. politics and global affairs remains profound.
What are your thoughts on Dick Cheney’s legacy in American and global politics? Share your views in the comments.
