Dick Cheney, who served as vice president under George W. Bush and wielded unprecedented influence in national security decisions, died on Monday at age 84.
His family announced that he passed due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, surrounded by his wife Lynne, daughters Liz and Mary, and other relatives.
Cheney had a long history of heart issues, surviving multiple heart attacks and receiving a transplant in 2012.
Born in 1941 in Lincoln, Nebraska, Cheney grew up in Wyoming and graduated from the University of Wyoming after leaving Yale.
He entered politics in Washington under Richard Nixon, served as Gerald Ford's chief of staff at age 34, and represented Wyoming in Congress for six terms, rising to House Minority Whip.
In 1989, he became Secretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush, overseeing the Persian Gulf War, and later led Halliburton before being selected as George W. Bush's running mate in 2000.
As vice president from 2001 to 2009, Cheney advocated restoring executive power, formulated the One Percent Doctrine post-9/11, and pushed for the Iraq invasion based on claims of weapons of mass destruction that proved unfounded.
He defended enhanced interrogation and surveillance programs.
In later years, Cheney criticized Donald Trump, calling him the greatest threat to the republic in a 2022 ad for daughter Liz, and endorsed Kamala Harris in 2024.
George W. Bush praised him as a trusted adviser and patriot.