Former US Vice President Dick Cheney dies aged 84 after battle with pneumonia

Former Women For Trump Co-Chair, Dr Gina Loudon, blasts the BBC for ‘editing and censoring’ an American President and says she doesn't know how they can ‘get away with it’ |

GB NEWS

George Bunn

By George Bunn


Published: 04/11/2025

- 11:25

Updated: 04/11/2025

- 12:25

Mr Cheney, an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, served as Vice President from 2001 to 2009

Former US Vice President Dick Cheney has died at the age of 84.

Mr Cheney served as VP from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush.


In recent years, the former Vice President was critical of modern Republican leadership and spoke out against current President, Donald Trump.

Mr Cheney, a hard-line conservative, branded President Trump a "coward" and the greatest-ever threat to the republic, even publicly endorsing and voting for his rival in the 2024 Presidential Election, Kamala Harris.

Former US Vice President Dick Cheney

Former US Vice President Dick Cheney served under George W Bush

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GETTY

\u200b George W. Bush during a campaign stop July 26, 2000

George W. Bush with Mr Cheney during a campaign stop July 26, 2000

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REUTERS

Born in Lincoln, Nebraska in January 1941, Richard Bruce Cheney started his political career as an aide to President Richard Nixon.

He later became Deputy Chief of Staff under President Gerald Ford and then succeeded his mentor and close friend Donald Rumsfeld in the job in 1975 when he departed to become Defense Secretary.

During President Jimmy Carter's administration, Mr Cheney decided to run for Congress and was elected to Wyoming’s sole US House seat in 1978.

Mr Cheney served six terms, rising to become House minority whip and was known for his hard-line conservative views.

\u200b Republican vice presidential candidate Dick Cheney

Following the attacks on September 11, 2001, Mr Cheney pushed hard for the US to invade Iraq

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REUTERS

Following the attacks on September 11, 2001, Mr Cheney pushed hard for the US to invade Iraq.

He was a vocal supporter of the unsubstantiated claims Saddam Hussein's regime possessed weapons of mass destruction program and had an operational relationship with Al-Qaeda.

In an infamous incident in 2006, Mr Cheney shot hunting partner and Texas attorney Harry Whittington in the face with a shotgun, causing relatively minor wounds.

He was also at odds with President Bush over the issue of same-sex marriage, saying that it should be left to the states to decide.

Dick Cheney\u200b

Dick Cheney with then-President Ronald Reagan

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GETTY

Controversy continued to follow Mr Cheney even after he left the Bush administration.

He was the subject of a scathing biographical film in 2018 titled "Vice," starring Christian Bale, who gained 40lbs (18kg) and shaved his head to mimic the former vice president's paunchiness and baldness.

"Thank you to Satan for giving me inspiration on how to play this role," Bale said in accepting a Golden Globes award for his Cheney portrayal.

During his time as vice president, late-night television comedians often referred to Cheney as Darth Vader.

He shrugged it off by joking that he was honored to be compared to the "Star Wars" villain, even dressing as Vader for an appearance on The Tonight Show" to promote his memoir.

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