Dick Cheney, a dominant figure in American politics and vice president from 2001 to 2009, died Monday at 84. His family told The New York Times he died from pneumonia complications, worsened by long-term heart and vascular problems.
Cheney wielded extraordinary power as vice president, shaping American foreign and security policy from the Gulf War in 1991 to the post-September 11 era.
His extensive Washington career included multiple high-level positions. After serving ten years in the House of Representatives, he became White House Chief of Staff under President Gerald Ford, and later Secretary of Defense (1989-1993) during George H. W. Bush’s presidency, where he directed the Gulf War campaign that drove Iraqi forces out of Kuwait.
Cheney’s 2000 vice-presidential nomination was transformative. Unlike traditional VPs, he became a key player in national security, judicial nominations, and economic policy.
The September 11, 2001, attacks placed Cheney in a crucial leadership role. While Bush was secured elsewhere, Cheney managed military alerts and operations from a White House bunker.
Afterward, Cheney advocated for expanding presidential powers, supporting the USA Patriot Act, and controversial surveillance measures. He insisted that a stronger executive branch was essential, believing it had been weakened since the Vietnam War and Watergate.
Cheney’s legacy remains inextricably linked to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
He was a leading voice for war, asserting Saddam Hussein had WMDs and Al Qaeda ties. The conflict lasted nearly nine years, causing over 4,000 U.S. deaths and regional instability.
When these claims were disproven, controversy ensued. Cheney never wavered, stating that the president had “done exactly the right thing,” The New York Times reported. After Congress opposed the 2007 troop surge, he said: “It won’t stop us.” His steadfastness exemplified his approach to foreign policy.
Health Struggles and Enduring Political Activity
Cheney had five heart attacks between 1978 and 2010, required a pacemaker, and received a heart transplant in 2012. Despite these challenges, he stayed active in politics after 2009.
During the Obama years, he vigorously defended CIA interrogation methods, calling them “absolutely, totally justified,” The New York Times said. In 2011, he and his daughter Liz published a memoir supporting the Bush administration’s decisions.
In 2024, Cheney announced support for Kamala Harris over Donald Trump, whom he called “unfit” and “dangerous for American democracy,” The New York Times reported. “We have a duty to put country above party to defend our Constitution,” he said.
Cheney’s influence extended to foreign affairs, Supreme Court nominations, tax cuts, and the expansion of executive power.
Supporters viewed him as a stable and strategic leader in uncertain times. Critics said he legitimized practices that violated international law and initiated a conflict with lasting global effects.
His approach favored limited public appearances, targeted interventions, and internal decision-making. Critics called him “Darth Vader,” a label he tried to counter by offering his 2004 resignation—a move Bush rejected.
Born in 1941 in Lincoln, Nebraska, and raised in Casper, Wyoming, Cheney began his political career in Washington under the guidance of Donald Rumsfeld. He is survived by his wife, historian Lynne Cheney, and two daughters: Liz Cheney, a former Wyoming representative who emerged as a vocal critic of Trump following the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, and Mary Cheney.
In his final months, despite deteriorating health, Cheney remained engaged in national security discussions, advocating for his vision of America as a guardian of the international order, which, in his perspective, required unwavering protection.
