Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney dies at 84

Former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, a central figure in American politics for decades and one of the most influential vice presidents in modern history, has died at the age of 84. His family said Cheney passed away Monday from complications related to pneumonia and long-term heart and vascular disease.

Cheney served as vice president from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush, where he played a dominant role in shaping U.S. foreign and security policy after the September 11 attacks. A key advocate for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Cheney became a defining — and divisive — voice of American conservatism during the early 21st century.

Before his vice presidency, Cheney led the Pentagon as secretary of defense under President George H.W. Bush, overseeing U.S. military operations during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. His political career also included service as a congressman from Wyoming and White House chief of staff.

In his later years, Cheney defended his daughter, former Congresswoman Liz Cheney, who became one of the most prominent Republican critics of Donald Trump and his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.