WASHINGTON: Dick Cheney, the powerful former US vice president who played a key role in shaping America’s post-9/11 wars and was widely regarded as one of the most influential vice presidents in US history, has died at the age of 84, US media reported on Tuesday, citing a statement from his family.
Cheney died on Monday night from complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, according to the family statement carried by US media outlets.
“For decades, Dick Cheney served our nation, including as White House Chief of Staff, Wyoming’s Congressman, Secretary of Defense, and Vice President of the United States,” the statement said.
Powerful and controversial figure
Cheney served as the 46th vice president under Republican President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009.
Known for his hardline views and influence over foreign policy, Cheney was considered the driving force behind many of the Bush administration’s most consequential decisions — particularly the 2003 US invasion of Iraq.
A key proponent of the war, Cheney repeatedly argued that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction and maintained links with Al-Qaeda — claims later discredited.
He also defended the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” on terrorism suspects, which critics and international bodies described as torture.
Historians often described Cheney as a “shadow president” due to his deep involvement in national security and defence policy.
During his vice presidency, he championed an expansion of presidential powers, arguing that authority had weakened since the Watergate scandal that forced Richard Nixon to resign.
Long career in Washington
Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, on 30 January 1941, Richard Bruce Cheney grew up in Wyoming. He attended Yale University but left without a degree, later earning a political science degree from the University of Wyoming.
Cheney began his political career in the Nixon administration in 1969 and later became Chief of Staff under President Gerald Ford.
In 1978, he was elected Wyoming’s sole member of the US House of Representatives, serving for a decade with a staunchly conservative record.
He served as Secretary of Defence under President George H.W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, overseeing the 1991 Gulf War, when a US-led coalition drove Iraqi forces out of Kuwait.
After leaving government, Cheney became CEO of Halliburton, an oil services giant, from 1995 to 2000.
The company later became a major contractor during the Iraq War, drawing criticism over potential conflicts of interest.
Heart problems and later years
Cheney struggled with heart disease for most of his adult life, suffering his first heart attack at 37 and undergoing a heart transplant in 2012.
Despite frequent hospitalisations, he remained an active and often outspoken political voice.
He co-authored memoirs and frequently defended his legacy, arguing that his decisions — particularly on Iraq and national security — were justified by the intelligence available at the time.
Family and political legacy
Cheney’s eldest daughter, Liz Cheney, followed him into politics, serving as Wyoming’s congresswoman until 2023.
She became a prominent critic of Donald Trump after the 2021 Capitol riot, voting to impeach him and losing her seat as a result.
Her father supported her stance, later saying he would vote for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.
In a rare public rebuke of his own party, Cheney declared: “In our nation’s 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump.”
Cheney’s second daughter, Mary, is openly gay. His public support for same-sex relationships put him at odds with the Bush administration’s opposition to gay marriage.
Cheney is survived by his wife, Lynne, and their two daughters, Liz and Mary.
