Dick Cheney, one of the most powerful vice presidents in U.S. history and a key figure behind the 2003 Iraq invasion, died Monday at age 84 from complications of pneumonia and heart disease, his family announced. A dominant Republican force, Cheney served as vice president under George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009, shaping U.S. foreign policy in the post-9/11 era and expanding executive authority in Washington.
A former Wyoming congressman and defense secretary under George H.W. Bush, Cheney played a pivotal role in pushing for the Iraq War, asserting that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction—a claim later disproven. Despite criticism, Cheney defended the invasion as justified by the intelligence available at the time. He also championed controversial “enhanced interrogation” methods that human rights groups later condemned as torture. His deep influence and aggressive approach to national security earned him comparisons to “Darth Vader,” a label he humorously embraced.
Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, on January 30, 1941, Cheney grew up in Wyoming and earned degrees from the University of Wyoming after briefly attending Yale. Before entering politics, he worked on power line construction projects. His long-time political ally Donald Rumsfeld mentored him early in his career, and together they shaped Republican defense policy for decades.
Cheney’s private-sector career included leading Halliburton, an oil services company that profited heavily from Iraq War contracts, drawing scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest. His daughter Liz Cheney followed him into politics, later clashing with the Trump wing of the Republican Party. Cheney, once a stalwart conservative, publicly denounced Donald Trump, calling him the greatest threat to U.S. democracy.
Despite decades of controversy—from the Iraq War to a hunting accident that made global headlines—Cheney’s impact on American politics and foreign policy remains profound. He is survived by his wife Lynne and daughters Liz and Mary.