Former US Vice President Dick Cheney has died at the age of 84.
Cheney is best known for being the Vice President from 2001 until 2009 under George W Bush and is remembered as the 'most powerful' VP in history and the architect of the United States' War on Terror and invasion of Iraq, which occurred after the 11 September attacks in New York City.
Cheney's death was confirmed today (3 November) in a statement released by his family, which revealed the politician had passed away from 'complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease'.
"Dick Cheney was a great and good man who taught his children and grandchildren to love our country, and to live lives of courage, honour, love, kindness, and fly fishing," reads a statement from the Cheney family.
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The statement continues: "We are grateful beyond measure for all Dick Cheney did for our country. And we are blessed beyond measure to have loved and been loved by this noble giant of a man."
Cheney had a documented history of dealing with heart complications throughout his life, suffering five heart attacks between 1978 and 2010 and had been fitted with a device which regulated his heartbeat since 2001.
The former White House Chief of Staff would later undergo a heart transplant in 2012, which he later described as being 'the gift of life itself'.
He is survived by his wife, Lynne Cheney, and his two daughters.
Born in Nebraska in 1941, Cheney began his political career as a member of the US House of Representatives for Wyoming, later going on to become White House Chief of Staff under Gerald Ford.
He was chosen as the running mate of Bush in 2000 and served from 2001 to 2009. Cheney was influential in America's decision to invade Iraq, alleging the Middle Eastern country had weapons of mass destruction, claims that turned out to be false.
He'd also alleged the Iraqi government at the time had links to Al-Qaeda.
After leaving office in 2009, Cheney remained a public figure, releasing a memoir and two further books. Cheney later became a vocal opponent of the sitting US President Donald Trump.
In a scathing attack on Trump, he branded him the greatest 'threat to our republic' while referencing his refusal to concede the 2020 election to Joe Biden and endorsed his Democratic rival Kamala Harris.
Topics: US News
Brenna Cooper