Dick Cheney's death a loss to the nation, says George W Bush

November 4, 2025

Dick Cheney, the former US Vice President who served under George W. Bush, has died at age 84 from complications related to pneumonia and heart disease. During his tenure from 2001, he transformed the vice presidency into an exceptionally powerful position, becoming a principal architect of America's post-9/11 "war on terror" and a leading advocate for the Iraq invasion based on claims about weapons of mass destruction that were never found.

Who is affected

Dick Cheney's family, including his wife Lynne, daughters Liz and Mary Cheney, and seven grandchildren
The American public and nation
The Republican Party
Iraqi people and Iraq war veterans
Former colleagues including George W. Bush, Condoleezza Rice, and Bill Clinton
The Trump administration and current political landscape

What action is being taken

Flags at the White House were lowered to half-staff on Tuesday morning
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson is publicly honoring Cheney's service
Former presidents and political figures are issuing tribute statements

Why it matters

Dick Cheney's death marks the passing of one of the most influential and controversial political figures in modern American history. His transformation of the vice presidency into a position of extraordinary power fundamentally changed the dynamics of executive branch governance. His central role in shaping the "war on terror" and the Iraq invasion had profound consequences that reshaped American foreign policy, Middle Eastern geopolitics, and resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and years of conflict. Additionally, his late-career opposition to Donald Trump represents a significant ideological rupture within the Republican Party, highlighting the party's dramatic transformation in recent years.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC