Dick Cheney, often described as the most powerful vice president in U.S. history, died on Monday at the age of 84. He was George W. Bush’s running mate in two successful presidential campaigns and remained his chief adviser in the White House through an era of terrorism, wars, and economic change.
His family said the cause of death was complications from pneumonia, along with cardiovascular disease.
Cheney struggled with heart problems throughout his life: between 1978 and 2010 he suffered five heart attacks and had a pacemaker implanted in 2001. Despite chronic illness, his work ethic as vice president was never in doubt. In 2012, after leaving politics, he underwent a successful heart transplant and remained relatively active in the years that followed.
In recent years, Cheney again drew public attention by declaring that he would vote for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. He called her opponent, former president Donald Trump, “unfit for the White House and a grave threat to American democracy.”
“We have an obligation to put the country above partisan interests and defend our Constitution,” he said.
His remarks echoed the stance of his daughter, former Wyoming congresswoman Liz Cheney, who broke with Trump after the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and likewise voiced her support for Harris.
Cheney was the quintessential Washington insider—both the architect and executor of President Bush’s most consequential initiatives. He played a central role in expanding American influence abroad through military interventions launched in the name of defending democracy, while at home he championed tax cuts and the consolidation of presidential power, which he believed had been unduly constrained by Congress and the courts after Vietnam and Watergate.
Dick Cheney is sworn in as U.S. defense secretary in March 1989. President George H. W. Bush (left) valued his loyalty and restraint—as later did his son, President George W. Bush.
As the president’s most trusted adviser, Cheney wielded sweeping authority over both foreign and domestic policy. He influenced decisions on war, judicial appointments, tax reform, and the fate of key legislation and alliances.
His greatest impact came in national security. As defense secretary, Cheney oversaw Operation Desert Storm in 1991, which liberated Kuwait from Iraqi occupation. Later, in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks, he became a driving force behind America’s response—from secret surveillance programs and indefinite detention to the use of harsh interrogation methods. He was also a leading advocate of the 2003 invasion of Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein—a decision that led to a long and bloody war.
Early in Bush’s first term, many Democrats—and even some Republicans—believed that Cheney was the true driving force behind the administration, while the president himself was still learning to lead. Over time, Cheney’s influence waned, but the image of a puppet master and strategic mentor operating behind the scenes never fully disappeared.
Even Bush acknowledged this perception in his 2010 memoir Decision Points, recalling that Cheney had offered to step down before the 2004 election, describing himself as “the Darth Vader of the administration.” The president considered the idea, believing the resignation might emphasize his own leadership, but ultimately decided to keep Cheney on, valuing his “steadiness and loyalty.”