Former Vice President Dick Cheney, one of the most powerful and controversial figures in modern American politics, died Monday, November 3, 2025, at age 84. His family reported he was surrounded by loved ones when he succumbed to complications from pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, ending a life marked by extraordinary political influence and persistent health battles.
Cheney’s death prompted an unexpectedly muted response from many in the Republican party he served for decades. President Donald Trump had not publicly commented on his passing as of Friday, November 7, though White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed flags at the White House had been lowered in accordance with statutory law. The president stopped short of issuing a national proclamation to honor the former vice president.
The subdued reaction reflects the deep rift that developed between Cheney and Trump in recent years. In a 2022 campaign advertisement supporting his daughter Liz Cheney’s unsuccessful reelection bid, the elder Cheney declared: “In our nation’s 246-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump. He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him. He is a coward.”
That statement, along with Cheney’s 2024 endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, effectively severed his relationship with the Trump-dominated Republican party. Trump responded by calling Cheney an irrelevant RINO, (Republican in Name Only) while many congressional Republicans from Texas remained notably silent about his death despite his deep connections to the state through his service as CEO of Houston-based oil services giant Halliburton.
Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Jodey Arrington were among the few Texas Republicans who offered remembrances, with Arrington recalling how the reserved Cheney often provided the most insightful comments during White House meetings when he served as a young staffer under President George W. Bush.
Cheney served as vice president from 2001 to 2009 under G.W. Bush, establishing himself as arguably the most powerful person to hold that office in American history. He was the chief architect of the war on terror following the September 11 attacks and aggressively pushed for the 2003 invasion of Iraq based on allegations of links between Saddam Hussein’s regime and the 2001 attacks that ultimately proved unfounded. Bush described him as a “calm and steady presence in the White House amid great national challenges.”
Before his vice presidency, Cheney built an extensive resume in Republican politics. He served as White House Chief of Staff for President Gerald Ford, represented Wyoming in the House of Representatives, and was appointed defense secretary by President George H.W. Bush. Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1941, he grew up in Wyoming, where he later retired.
Cheney’s health struggles were well documented throughout his adult life. He survived five heart attacks, underwent multiple surgeries, and received a heart transplant, leading him to believe for years he was living on borrowed time. Despite these challenges, medical advances helped him reach 84, far exceeding what many expected given his cardiac history.
Funeral services for Cheney are scheduled for 11 a.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, November 20, at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. As of Friday, November 7, his burial location had not been publicly announced, and it remained unclear whether he would lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda. Senate Majority Leader John Thune indicated Republican leadership staff was reviewing protocol regarding that possibility.
Federal flag code requires flags to be flown at half-staff from the day a former vice president dies until burial. Some Mississippi organizations like Jackson City Hall maintained flags at full staff, while the Old State Capitol and Hinds County Courthouse lowered theirs.
Cheney is survived by his wife of 61 years, Lynne, and daughters Mary and Liz. His family described him in a statement as a great and good man who taught his children and grandchildren to love their country. Liz Cheney, who served as vice chair of the House committee investigating the January 6 insurrection, became one of Trump’s most prominent Republican critics before losing her 2022 primary race by a wide margin in conservative Wyoming.
The relatively quiet response from Republican leadership to Cheney’s passing underscores how dramatically the party has shifted from the Bush-Cheney era of hawkish foreign policy and traditional conservatism toward Trump’s economic populism and isolationism. Political analysts noted that how Republicans choose to honor or ignore Cheney’s legacy serves as something of a loyalty test for the current administration, with many politicians opting for silence rather than risking Trump’s ire by praising a man he considered an enemy.
