Current and former political leaders from both sides of the aisle gathered at Washington National Cathedral on Thursday for the funeral of former Vice President Dick Cheney, whose decades in public life made him one of the most consequential figures in modern U.S. politics. Cheney, who died Nov. 3 at age 84 from complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, was remembered by family, colleagues and longtime aides during the service.
President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden were among those in attendance, along with former Vice Presidents Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, Al Gore and Dan Quayle. Also present were prominent lawmakers and conservative figures, including Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sens. Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham, Bill Kristol, Hugh Hewitt and former national security adviser John Bolton. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were not invited, according to officials familiar with the arrangements.
President George W. Bush, who relied on Cheney as a central partner throughout his presidency, delivered one of the service’s principal eulogies. He recalled the unusual moment in 2000 when Cheney, then leading Bush’s vice-presidential search, urged him to consider reasons not to choose him. “At such a moment, most in this position would have jumped at the chance. But Dick stayed detached and he analyzed it,” Bush said, noting that despite Cheney’s reservations, he ultimately trusted his own instincts. He remembered telling his father of the choice and hearing, “Son, you couldn’t pick a better man.” Bush later captured the broader sentiment among the mourners as he described Cheney as “a gentleman by nature, and a true man of the west,” reflecting both the divisive and unifying chapters of Cheney’s long career in public service.
The service drew political leaders across the spectrum, as well as Cheney’s daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney, who later broke with the Trump-era GOP. She and her father became outspoken critics of Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 attack, and both declared in 2024 that they would vote for Kamala Harris.
Liz Cheney honored her father with a tribute that intertwined personal memories and her father’s views on American civic duty. She described how her father’s passion for history shaped her childhood, recalling long visits to Civil War battlegrounds where he insisted on reading every sign. She said the turning point in his life came after hearing President John F. Kennedy challenge students to dedicate themselves to the nation. “I think this is the moment my dad decided what direction his life should take,” she said. Although Kennedy inspired him, Liz Cheney emphasized that her father’s commitment to country always outweighed party loyalties. “Dick Cheney became a Republican, but he knew that bonds of party must always yield to the single bond we share as Americans,” she said. “For him, a choice between defense of the Constitution and defense of your political party was no choice at all.”
Other speakers included Cheney’s longtime cardiologist, Dr. Jonathan Reiner, and former Pentagon press secretary Pete Williams, who shared stories dating back to Cheney’s tenure as defense secretary under President George H.W. Bush. Williams recounted Cheney’s refusal to accept his resignation in 1991, when Williams learned he was about to be publicly outed. “He wouldn’t hear of it,” Williams said, recalling Cheney’s daily calls afterward to ensure he was doing well.
Editorial credit: Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com
