Dick Cheney, Former U.S. Vice President and Architect of the “War on Terror,” Dead at 84

Dick Cheney, one of the most influential and controversial figures in modern American politics, has died at the age of 84. His family announced that he passed away on November 3, 2025, due to complications from pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease. Cheney had battled heart problems for much of his adult life, surviving multiple heart attacks and receiving a heart transplant in 2012 — which he once called “the gift of life itself.”

Serving as the 46th Vice President of the United States under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009, Cheney was a central architect of U.S. foreign policy following the September 11 attacks. He played a defining role in shaping the Bush administration’s “war on terror,” including the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as expanded surveillance and interrogation policies that remain subjects of heated debate.

Before his vice presidency, Cheney served as White House Chief of Staff under Gerald Ford, a Wyoming congressman, and later Secretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush, overseeing Operation Desert Storm.

Cheney’s legacy is deeply divided — hailed by supporters as a decisive leader who strengthened national defense, and condemned by critics for policies they view as overreaching and morally fraught.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Lynne, his daughters Liz and Mary, and several grandchildren. His family’s statement described him as “a noble giant of a man” who taught those around him to live with “courage, honor, love, kindness, and fly fishing.”