Former U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney, a key architect of George W. Bush's war on terror and an early advocate of the invasion of Iraq in 2003, has died at the age of 84.
He passed away from complications of pneumonia, as well as cardiac and vascular disease, his family confirmed on Monday night.
Cheney's political career included serving as White House chief of staff under Gerald Ford in the 1970s, before rising to become one of the most powerful U.S. vice presidents in history under Bush.
In his later years, Cheney became increasingly critical of the Republican Party, particularly under Donald Trump.
His family released a statement praising Cheney as a great and good man who instilled patriotic values in his children and grandchildren.
Cheney, born in 1941 in Lincoln, Nebraska, initially attended Yale University on a scholarship but did not graduate. He eventually earned a Master's degree in political science from the University of Wyoming. His political journey began in 1968 when he worked for a Republican representative.
Cheney became the chief of staff under Ford at the young age of 34 and later served in the House of Representatives and as Secretary of Defense during the Gulf War. He became vice president in 2001, famously transforming the role into one of significant political power in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
His advocacy for military intervention in both Afghanistan and Iraq marked a controversial period in U.S. history, particularly regarding claims about weapons of mass destruction that were never found in Iraq.
Cheney's legacy is complex, entwined with the consequences of the Iraq War and his outspoken views in the later years of his life criticizing Trump.
As a final twist, despite a lifelong career with the Republican Party, Cheney endorsed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris during the 2020 presidential election, asserting that Trump posed a severe threat to American democracy.
