Former Vice President Dick Cheney dies
Dick Cheney, George Bush’s former vice president, was one of the most powerful and controversial figures in American history.
Dick Cheney, who wielded more power than any previous U.S. vice president and continued his legacy as one of America’s most controversial politicians, has died at the age of 84, after a career that included representing Wyoming in Congress and shaping foreign policy after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Cheney died on November 3 of complications from pneumonia and cardiovascular disease, his family said in a statement.
From her early days in Washington politics to her surprising break with the Trump-era Republican Party in the recent presidential election, here are some of the most memorable moments in Cheney’s life and career.
Cheney arrives on scene in Washington, becomes youngest chief of staff
Cheney later joined the staff of Donald Rumsfeld, who served as Secretary of Defense during 9/11 and its aftermath, and then joined President Nixon’s White House, working in the administration starting in 1969. After Nixon resigned due to the Watergate scandal, Rumsfeld became President Gerald Ford’s chief of staff and Cheney his deputy.
Cheney became a member of the White House transition team the following year in 1974, making history as the youngest White House chief of staff at the age of 34, a position he held until the end of the Ford administration. He later served in the Wyoming State Legislature and was reelected five times. He then served as Secretary of Defense from 1989 to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush.
9/11 and the shaping of the Iraq War
Cheney’s legacy is perhaps most clearly defined by his actions after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington. In early 2001, Cheney became President George W. Bush’s vice president. More than any previous vice president, Cheney took an active role in shaping policy and strategy and was a key architect of decisions that shaped President Bush’s legacy.
Cheney backed Bush’s invasion of Iraq in 2003 with the mission of stopping Saddam Hussein’s suspected stockpile of weapons of mass destruction, which ended up being a false alarm. Cheney was the public face of support for overthrowing Hussein and made public statements predicting a successful outcome. He rejected the idea that wars would be long and costly.
“The invasion of Iraq was in many ways Dick Cheney’s war,” wrote James Mann in “Rise of the Balkans: A History of the Bush War Cabinet.”
2006 Hunting Case: Cheney Accidentally Shoots Lawyer
In February 2006, while still vice president, Cheney accidentally shot Texas attorney Harry Whittington with a 28-gauge shotgun loaded with bird bullets during a hunting trip.
The pair were on a quail hunting party on a ranch in Texas when Cheney opened fire on the quail group, unaware that Whittington, who had stayed behind to collect the shot birds, was approaching. Mr Whittington was hit with birdshot in the face, neck and chest. The lawyer was hospitalized and suffered a heart attack due to the bird’s bullet that landed near his heart, but he survived.
Whittington told the USA TODAY Network in 2018 that he remained in contact with Cheney and had no malicious intent in the accident.
The hunting incident was first reported by the Corpus Christi Caller Times, part of the USA TODAY Network, and made national headlines. He also appeared in the 2018 film Vice, starring Christian Bale as Cheney.
Cheney breaks up with Trump
Cheney made headlines when she announced that she would vote for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, who was vice president at the time, in the 2024 presidential election.
“There has never been anyone more threatening to our country than Donald Trump,” Cheney said.
Cheney’s daughter, former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney, was the target of Trump’s ire over her role investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and for voting in favor of impeachment. She also supported Harris.
Contributor: Susan Page and Joey Garrison, USA TODAY
