Dick Cheney has died at the age of 84, his family said in a statement.
Cheney, who served as the vice president under George W. Bush, passed away on November 3, according to his family.
He had been suffering from pneumonia as well as cardiac and vascular disease.
“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. We are grateful beyond measure for all Dick Cheney did for our country. And we are blessed beyond measure to have loved and been loved by this noble giant of a man,” the press release read in part.
The former Vice President had battled with cardiovascular disease for much of his life and survived a series of severe heart attacks. In 2012, he went into the hospital for a heart transplant, which he later described as “the gift of life itself.”
During his career, the Wyoming native served as White House chief of staff and defense secretary, before becoming vice president.
Cheney was in office as Bush’s vice president on September 11, 2001, unfolded in New York City. Cheney later told CNN’s John King that he became a changed man after the second plane hit the World Trade Center.
“At that moment, you knew this was a deliberate act,” he told King. “This was a terrorist act.”
Cheney went on to play a vital role in the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, alleging that the country had launched a program to create weapons of mass destruction. He also suggested that the then-Iraqi government had ties to Al-Qaeda, who had carried out the chilling 9/11 attacks.
Cheney is regarded as the most powerful vice president in history, because of the active role he took in governing during George W. Bush’s time in office.
However, his support for the invasion of Iraq also made him one of the most polarising vice presidents in history. He left office with an approval rating of 31 percent, according to the Pew Research Center, due to the role he played in the war in 2003.
The politician is survived by his daughters Liz and Mary Cheney, both of whom followed their father into politics. Both of his daughters have served as members of the Republican Party, although Liz Chaney campaigned for former Vice President Kamala Harris during the 2024 presidential election.
His is also survived by his wife Lynne, who was the second lady of the United States from 2001 until 2009.
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