Dick Cheney, who served as vice president under George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009 and was a principal architect of the “war on terror” following the September 11 attacks, has died, according to a statement from his family. He was 84.

The long-time politico was surrounded by his family including wife Lynne and daughters Liz and Mary. According to his family, he died 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, honor, love, kindness, and fly fishing.” the statement said. “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 held numerous positions in government over five decades, including White House chief of staff under Gerald Ford, congressman from Wyoming, and defense secretary under George H.W. Bush during the Gulf War.

It was during the younger Bush’s terms in the White House where Cheney redefined the vice presidency as one of the most powerful in American history.

Selected by Mr. Bush as his running mate in 2000 for his extensive Washington experience, Cheney wielded significant influence over the administration’s foreign policy, making him a frequent target of critics.

He was a driving force behind the Bush administration’s 2003 invasion of Iraq, which was justified by intelligence — later discredited — claiming that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction.

Cheney was plagued by cardiovascular disease throughout most of his life, already having three heart attacks by the time he joined the Bush campaign. In 2012 he received a heart transplant, calling it “the gift of life itself” in a 2014 interview.

In his later years, Cheney became one of the most prominent Republicans to oppose Donald Trump, along with his daughter, former congresswoman Liz Cheney. He voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. 

“There has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump,” he said before the election.