Dick Cheney

Dick Cheney
Born	Richard Bruce Cheney 30 1, 1941
Birthplace	Lincoln, Nebraska, U.S.
Died	Template:Death date and age United States
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician, businessman
Known for	46th Vice President of the United States; 17th U.S. Secretary of Defense; Chairman and CEO of Halliburton
Education	University of Wyoming (BA, MA)
Spouse(s)	Lynne Cheney
Children	2
Awards	Presidential Medal of Freedom (2011)

Richard Bruce Cheney (January 30, 1941 – November 3, 2025) was an American politician and businessman who served as the 46th Vice President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. A figure who shaped the trajectory of American foreign policy and executive power across multiple decades, Cheney held some of the most consequential positions in the federal government, including White House Chief of Staff under President Gerald Ford, U.S. Representative from Wyoming's at-large congressional district, and Secretary of Defense under President George H. W. Bush. Between his periods of government service, he served as chairman and chief executive officer of Halliburton, one of the world's largest oilfield services companies. As vice president, Cheney played a central role in the George W. Bush administration's response to the September 11 attacks and the prosecution of the Global War on Terrorism, including the controversial decision to invade Iraq in 2003. He died on November 3, 2025, at the age of 84.

Early Life

Richard Bruce Cheney was born on January 30, 1941, in Lincoln, Nebraska. He grew up in Lincoln before his family relocated to Casper, Wyoming, where he spent much of his youth. Cheney attended Natrona County High School in Casper, where he was a football player and student leader. He was a member of the senior class and was acquainted with Lynne Vincent, whom he would later marry.

Wyoming left a formative mark on Cheney's political identity. The state's conservative, individualist ethos aligned with the political philosophy he would carry throughout his career. Casper, a city tied to the oil and energy industry, also exposed the young Cheney to the economic concerns of the American West, themes that would recur throughout his public and private career.

After completing high school, Cheney initially enrolled at Yale University but did not finish his studies there. He subsequently returned to Wyoming, where he pursued his higher education at the University of Wyoming.

Education

Cheney briefly attended Yale University before leaving the institution. He then enrolled at the University of Wyoming, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. He continued his studies at the same university and completed a Master of Arts degree, also in political science. His academic background in political science provided the foundation for a career that would span the legislative, executive, and private sectors. Cheney began doctoral studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison but did not complete a Ph.D., instead entering government service.

Career

Early Political Career and the Ford White House

Cheney's career in Washington began in the late 1960s when he secured an internship with Congressman William A. Steiger of Wisconsin. This position introduced Cheney to the mechanics of federal government and connected him with influential figures in the Republican Party. He subsequently worked his way into the White House during the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

During the Ford administration, Cheney rose to become White House Chief of Staff, serving from 1975 to 1977. At the age of 34, he was one of the youngest individuals to hold that position. As chief of staff, Cheney was responsible for managing the daily operations of the White House and controlling access to the president, a role that gave him significant influence over the administration's policy agenda and political strategy. His tenure as chief of staff established Cheney's reputation as a skilled operator within the executive branch and laid the groundwork for his subsequent career in elected office.

U.S. House of Representatives (1979–1989)

Following Ford's defeat in the 1976 presidential election, Cheney returned to Wyoming and ran for the state's sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected in 1978 and took office on January 3, 1979, succeeding Democrat Teno Roncalio.

Cheney served in the House for a decade, representing Wyoming's at-large congressional district from 1979 to 1989. During his time in Congress, he developed a reputation as a staunch conservative and a reliable party member. He rose through the Republican leadership ranks and was elected House Minority Whip in 1989, though he served only briefly in that role before being tapped for the Cabinet.

In the House, Cheney compiled a consistently conservative voting record. He focused on defense and national security issues, areas that would define his later career. His colleagues regarded him as disciplined, methodical, and deeply knowledgeable about the workings of the federal government.

Secretary of Defense (1989–1993)

In March 1989, President George H. W. Bush appointed Cheney as the 17th United States Secretary of Defense. Cheney was confirmed by the Senate after Bush's initial nominee, John Tower, failed to win confirmation. Cheney served as Secretary of Defense from March 21, 1989, to January 20, 1993.

As Secretary of Defense, Cheney oversaw two significant military operations. The first was Operation Just Cause in December 1989, which resulted in the removal of Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega. The second and more consequential was Operation Desert Storm in 1991, the U.S.-led military campaign to expel Iraqi forces from Kuwait following Saddam Hussein's invasion of that country. The Gulf War was widely viewed as a decisive military success, and Cheney's management of the Pentagon during the conflict enhanced his stature as a national security figure.

During the Gulf War, Cheney worked closely with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell and General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. to plan and execute the campaign. The decision by the Bush administration not to advance on Baghdad and remove Saddam Hussein from power—a decision Cheney later defended as prudent given the political and military circumstances of 1991—would stand in contrast to the policy he advocated as vice president more than a decade later.

Chairman and CEO of Halliburton (1995–2000)

After leaving the Department of Defense in January 1993, Cheney entered the private sector. In 1995, he was named chairman and chief executive officer of Halliburton, a major energy services and engineering company based in Houston, Texas. During his tenure at Halliburton, the company expanded its operations through acquisitions and international contracts, including significant work in the oil and gas sector.

Cheney's time at Halliburton proved financially lucrative. Upon leaving the company to join the 2000 presidential ticket, he received a severance package valued at approximately $33.7 million. His association with Halliburton became a recurring subject of political controversy, particularly after the company received substantial government contracts related to the Iraq War during the Bush administration. Critics alleged conflicts of interest, while Cheney and his supporters maintained that he had severed all financial ties to the company before assuming the vice presidency.

During the period between his government service, Cheney was also involved with a number of policy organizations. He served on the board of the Council on Foreign Relations and was affiliated with other defense and foreign policy groups.

Vice Presidency (2001–2009)

Selection and Election

In July 2000, presumptive Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush selected Cheney as his running mate for the 2000 presidential election. Cheney had initially been tasked with leading Bush's vice-presidential search committee, a process that ultimately resulted in Cheney himself being chosen for the ticket. Because both Bush and Cheney had ties to Texas—Bush as governor and Cheney as a Halliburton executive residing in the state—Cheney changed his voter registration back to Wyoming to comply with the Twelfth Amendment, which prohibits electors from voting for a president and vice president from the same state.

The Bush-Cheney ticket narrowly defeated the Democratic ticket of incumbent Vice President Al Gore and Senator Joe Lieberman in the 2000 election, a contest that was resolved by the Supreme Court's decision in Bush v. Gore. Cheney took office as vice president on January 20, 2001.

In 2004, Bush and Cheney were reelected, defeating the Democratic ticket of Senators John Kerry and John Edwards.

Response to the September 11 Attacks

The September 11 attacks on September 11, 2001, defined the Bush administration's domestic and foreign policy agenda, and Cheney played a central role in shaping the government's response. On the morning of the attacks, Cheney was evacuated to the Presidential Emergency Operations Center beneath the White House, where he coordinated federal response efforts while President Bush was traveling.

In the aftermath of the attacks, Cheney became a leading advocate within the administration for an aggressive approach to counterterrorism, a framework that became known as the Global War on Terrorism. He played a significant behind-the-scenes role in the development of policies that expanded executive power, including the authorization of NSA warrantless surveillance programs and the use of enhanced interrogation techniques on terrorism suspects held at facilities such as Guantanamo Bay.

Cheney's advocacy for expanded executive authority and his support for interrogation methods that critics characterized as torture generated substantial controversy. He defended these practices as necessary measures to protect American security in wartime, while opponents argued that they violated domestic and international law and damaged the United States' moral standing.

Iraq War

Cheney was a principal advocate within the Bush administration for the invasion of Iraq in 2003. In the lead-up to the war, he made public statements alleging that the regime of Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction and maintained an operational relationship with al-Qaeda. Neither allegation was subsequently substantiated by intelligence findings or post-invasion inspections.

Cheney also pressured the intelligence community to provide assessments consistent with the administration's case for war, according to multiple reports and subsequent investigations. His role in shaping the intelligence narrative surrounding the Iraq invasion led many observers and analysts to describe him as the chief architect of the war.

The failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, the protracted military occupation, and the sectarian violence that followed the invasion generated intense criticism of Cheney and the Bush administration. The war resulted in the deaths of thousands of American service members and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians, and it remained a defining and contentious element of Cheney's legacy.

In June 2005, Cheney stated publicly that the Iraqi insurgency was "in the last throes," a characterization that was contradicted by events on the ground and drew criticism from military officials and political opponents alike.

Scope of Vice-Presidential Power

Cheney redefined the office of the vice presidency, exercising a degree of influence over policy that was without precedent. He maintained a large and active staff, inserted himself into virtually every major policy decision, and operated with a level of autonomy that led numerous scholars and journalists to describe him as the most powerful vice president in American history.

His influence extended across national security, energy policy, and judicial appointments. Cheney chaired the administration's energy task force in 2001, which developed the national energy policy amid criticism for its secrecy and perceived ties to the oil and gas industry. He was also influential in the selection of federal judges, including Supreme Court nominees.

Hunting Incident

On February 11, 2006, Cheney accidentally shot his hunting companion, Texas attorney Harry Whittington, with birdshot during a quail hunting excursion at a ranch in Kenedy County, Texas. Whittington was hospitalized and suffered a minor heart attack after a pellet migrated to his heart, but he recovered. The incident drew widespread media attention, in part because the White House did not disclose the shooting for approximately 18 hours. Cheney later described the event as one of the worst days of his life.

Personal Life

Cheney married Lynne Vincent in 1964. The couple had two daughters, Elizabeth (Liz) and Mary. Lynne Cheney pursued a career in academia and public life, serving as chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities and later as a political commentator and author.

Cheney's daughter Mary is a lesbian, a fact that became publicly known during his vice presidency. In 2004, Cheney stated his support for same-sex marriage, breaking with the official position of President Bush and much of the Republican Party at the time. He said that the issue should be left to the states, noting his personal experience as a father.

Cheney's daughter Liz entered politics and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Wyoming in 2016. She later gained national attention for her role on the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, and both she and her father publicly opposed Donald Trump's continued influence in the Republican Party. Dick Cheney endorsed Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, a move that underscored his break with the Trump-era Republican Party.

Cheney experienced significant health problems over the course of his life. He suffered his first heart attack in 1978 at the age of 37 and went on to have four additional heart attacks. He underwent coronary artery bypass surgery and had a left ventricular assist device implanted in 2010. In 2012, he received a heart transplant at the age of 71.

Recognition

Following his death on November 3, 2025, flags at government buildings across the United States were lowered to half-staff in Cheney's honor.

Former President George W. Bush issued a statement calling Cheney's death "a loss to the nation and a sorrow to his friends," describing Cheney as "decent" and praising his public service.

In 2011, Cheney was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama as part of a ceremony honoring George H. W. Bush administration officials for their service during the Gulf War.

During his career, Cheney received recognition from various defense and foreign policy organizations for his work in national security. He was affiliated with the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) and other organizations focused on U.S. defense policy.

A request for Cheney to lie in honor at the United States Capitol was denied by the House Speaker, a decision that reflected the polarized assessments of his legacy within the political establishment.

Legacy

Dick Cheney's legacy is among the most debated of any American political figure in the post–Cold War era. Supporters credited him with strengthening the nation's security apparatus in the wake of the September 11 attacks and with providing experienced, steady leadership during a period of national crisis. His long career—spanning from the Ford White House to the vice presidency—demonstrated an unusual ability to operate effectively across the legislative and executive branches of government.

Critics, however, argued that Cheney's expansion of executive power, his advocacy for the Iraq War based on intelligence claims that proved false, and his support for surveillance programs and interrogation methods that many characterized as torture represented a dangerous overreach of government authority. The Iraq War, in particular, remained a focal point of criticism, with opponents holding Cheney responsible for a conflict that destabilized the Middle East and cost American and Iraqi lives.

Cheney's redefinition of the vice presidency itself constituted a lasting institutional change. By establishing the office as a center of policy influence rather than a largely ceremonial position, he set a precedent that shaped expectations for subsequent vice presidents. Whether this expansion of vice-presidential power was viewed as beneficial or harmful depended largely on one's assessment of the policies Cheney advanced.

His late-career opposition to Donald Trump and his endorsement of a Democratic presidential candidate in 2024 illustrated the distance that had grown between Cheney's brand of establishment conservatism and the populist direction of the Republican Party. This final chapter of his public life added yet another dimension to the complex and contested assessment of his role in American political history.