One of the most powerful, polarizing and controversial vice presidents in modern history, Dick Cheney, has died from complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease; he was 84 years old.
Dick Cheney, who served as Vice President under George W. Bush, became a lightning rod for critics of the administration. Cheney also redefined the office of the vice president. He became President Bush’s closest adviser and a dominant player in policy shaping. Critics alleged that Cheney was really the man in charge at the White House. The events of Sept. 11, 2001, only reinforced this notion. While Bush was in Florida that day, Cheney was at the White House. He was literally carried by Secret Service agents to an underground bunker. In an interview years later on NBC’s Meet the Press, Cheney said it was he who told Bush not to return to the White House.
After the Sept. 11 attacks, Cheney advocated an aggressive new foreign policy in which potential threats would be met with swift, pre-emptive action. No longer would the U.S. wait for an enemy to strike first. He helped sell the Iraq War by issuing dire warnings to the American people. At the same time, he famously predicted that the mission itself would be relatively easy.
In the 2024 election, Cheney endorsed VP Kamala Harris for president.
