Former Vice President Dick Cheney Dies at 84

Former Vice President Dick Cheney has died at age 84 from complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, according to his family. His passing prompted a wide range of reactions to his decades-long influence on American politics, national security, and foreign policy.

Cheney’s Political Career: Cheney, a conservative, served as the 46th vice president under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009, playing a central role in shaping US policy following the Sep. 11 attacks. Cheney was later heavily criticized for making definitive public claims that Saddam Hussein had both operational weapons of mass destruction and substantial links to al‑Qaeda--assertions that US intelligence later found lacked credible support.Before that, he was Secretary of Defense under President George H.W. Bush, overseeing the US-led coalition during the Gulf War. In a statement, George W. Bush described him as “a calm and steady presence in the White House amid great national challenges” who provided “honest, forthright counsel.”

A ‘Consequential’ Leader: The Wall Street Journal Editorial Board (Lean Right bias) called Cheney “the most consequential vice president in American history” and “one of our most successful defense secretaries,” emphasizing his achievements and leadership across decades of public service. It credited Cheney with major strategic and diplomatic successes during the Gulf War and post-9/11, and framed political controversies as “costs” of leadership rather than moral failings. The Hill (Center) highlighted Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) calling Cheney a “patriotic American who loved his country.” 

‘The Dark Side’: Associated Press (Left) wrote, “In Cheney’s hands, the vice presidency became a nexus of influence and manipulation.” An opinion in The Intercept (Left) wrote Cheney’s “legacy is one that came with gallons of Iraqi blood and billions in profit for his friends and allies.” It called Cheney a “masterful manipulator of the national media,” and criticized US newsrooms for “working overtime to launder the reputations of the leaders of the Bush administration” after they left office. It and Mother Jones (Left) framed Cheney’s legacy within deception and death surrounding the Iraq War, with Mother Jones describing it as his “worst transgression” and “one big lie.” 

Cheney and Trump: Several outlets on the left highlighted Cheney’s critiques of President Trump in recent years, including his condemning Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and the Capitol Riot. New York Magazine (Left) described Cheney as “the epitome of the scary, extremist Republican” in the early 2000s, and outlined his evolution to prominent Trump opponent, writing “the devil we thought we knew… pointed at this new devil.” An analysis in The Washington Post (Lean Left) wrote “Cheney helped shape the old Republican Party…only to see his party transformed by Trump and MAGA,” describing him as an “outsider” in the end. A BBC (Center) analysis drew parallels between Cheney and Trump’s use of presidential power, noting that while Trump has renounced Cheney’s foreign policy, he has similarly expanded executive authority in military and national security matters. Mother Jones also said Cheney’s warnings about Trump could not erase the “recklessness and deceit” of his own record.

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