Dick Cheney, Former U.S. Senator And Vice President, Dies, Aged 84

By Bridget Drayne

Dick Cheney, a Republican politician and former Vice President to George W. Bush, died on Nov. 3, at the age of 84. Widely known for being one of the most powerful Vice Presidents in American history, Cheney played a significant role in the Global War on Terrorism and the decision to invade Iraq. 

Cheney was born on Jan. 30, 1941, in Lincoln, Nebraska, but later moved to Casper, Wyoming, with his family. He attended Yale, but shortly after, dropped out to enroll at the University of Wyoming, where he earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Arts in political science. Cheney began his political career in 1989 as an intern for former Congressman William Steiger. In 1974, he became a deputy assistant and later a chief of staff for President Ford until 1977. 

In 1979, he was elected to represent Wyoming in the House of Representatives for six terms. He began serving President George H.W. Bush in 1989 as Secretary of Defense, where he supervised the U.S. invasion of Panama and led the Gulf War against Iraq. After Bush’s term was up in 1992, Cheney became the CEO of Halliburton, an expansive company that supplied hardware to the oil industry. In 2000, he was nominated by George W. Bush to be his vice president. Cheney accepted, and was soon met with the biggest challenge in his career yet: September 11th, 2001. He strongly advocated for military action in both Iraq and Afghanistan and denounced war critics. 

Cheney held very strong conservative views throughout his vice presidency, rolling back environmental protections and restricting access to abortion. He suffered his fair share of controversies, though, most notably when he accidentally shot and killed his hunting partner. 

After Bush’s term was up in 2009, Cheney remained an active political figure. Though originally endorsing Trump in 2016, he later pulled back, citing Trump’s claim of Russian interference in the election as the main reason. In 2024, he claimed he would vote for Harris, a surprise due to his former work towards the republican party. Cheney will be remembered as one of the most powerful Vice Presidents, who changed American politics forever.