Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, a defining figure in American politics who shaped post-9/11 U.S. foreign policy, died Monday at 84 from complications of pneumonia and heart disease, according to his family.
Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, one of the most influential and controversial figures in modern American politics, has died at the age of 84, according to NPR reporting.
In a family statement, Cheney’s death was attributed to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease. “Dick Cheney was a great and good man who taught his children and grandchildren to love our country,” the statement read.
Born in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1941, Cheney’s early life gave little hint of his future prominence. After flunking out of Yale and working as a power company lineman, he earned degrees from the University of Wyoming and the University of Wisconsin. His political career began as a congressional intern before he rose to become White House Chief of Staff under President Gerald Ford.
Cheney served as defense secretary under George H.W. Bush during the Gulf War and later as vice president under George W. Bush, where he was a key architect of the U.S. response to the September 11 attacks and the Iraq War.
Often described as the most powerful vice president in U.S. history, Cheney’s tenure was marked by secrecy, controversy, and a belief in expanding presidential authority. He leaves behind his wife, Lynne, and two daughters, including Liz Cheney, a former congresswoman.