A major political figure in American history, former U.S. vice president Dick Cheney, has passed away at the age of 84, according to a statement released by his family.
The family announced that Cheney died due to complications linked to pneumonia as well as cardiac and vascular disease. He spent his final moments surrounded by his wife, Lynne, and his daughters, Liz and Mary, along with other loved ones.
Cheney served as vice president under George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009. He is remembered as one of the most controversial figures to ever occupy the office, largely because of his strong support for the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Photos show Cheney alongside Bush during their tenure, as well as images of him meeting Tony Blair in 2002 and attending events with global leaders such as Queen Elizabeth and Margaret Thatcher.
In recent years, Cheney became a vocal critic of former president Donald Trump, especially after his daughter Liz Cheney became one of Trump’s biggest Republican opponents during the investigation into the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack.
In a television advert supporting his daughter, Cheney said: “In our country’s 246-year history, no individual has ever posed a greater danger to our republic than Donald Trump. He tried to overturn the last election using lies and violence. He is a coward.”
He even stated last year that he planned to vote for Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, instead of Trump.Throughout his life, Cheney battled serious health issues, surviving five heart attacks, and once said in 2013 that he woke up every day grateful to have “another morning.”
Before becoming vice president, he served as Wyoming’s congressman and later as Secretary of Defense under President George H.W. Bush, overseeing the U.S. military mission that pushed Iraqi forces out of Kuwait during the Gulf War.
The family expressed deep gratitude in their statement: “For decades, Dick Cheney served our nation, as White House Chief of Staff, Wyoming’s Congressman, Secretary of Defense, and Vice President of the United States.”
“Dick Cheney was a great and honorable man who taught his children and grandchildren to love this country, and to live with courage, kindness, love, and integrity.”
“We are thankful beyond words for all he did for our nation, and blessed beyond measure to have loved and been loved by such a remarkable man.”
