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Former President George W. Bush issued a statement on behalf of himself and former First Lady Laura Bush in response to the death of his two-term former Vice President Dick Cheney Tuesday (November 4) morning.
"The death of Richard B. Cheney is a loss to the nation and a sorrow to his friends. Laura and I will remember Dick Cheney for the decent, honorable man that he was," Bush wrote on his Instagram account. "History will remember him as among the finest public servants of his generation – a patriot who brought integrity, high intelligence, and seriousness of purpose to every position he held.
"As a young White House aide and chief of staff, a Congressman, a Secretary of Defense, and my Vice President, Dick earned the confidence and high opinion of five presidents. I asked him to join my ticket in 2000 after first enlisting him to help me find the best running mate. In our long discussions about the qualities a vice president should have – deep experience, mature judgment, character, loyalty – I realized that Dick Cheney was the one I needed. I’m still grateful that he was at my side for the eight years that followed.
"Dick was a calm and steady presence in the White House amid great national challenges. I counted on him for his honest, forthright counsel, and he never failed to give his best. He held to his convictions and prioritized the freedom and security of the American people. For those two terms in office, and throughout his remarkable career, Dick Cheney’s service always reflected credit on the country he loved.
"Dick’s love for America was second only to his family. Laura and I have shared our deepest sympathies with Vice President Cheney’s wife Lynne and their daughters and grandchildren of whom he was so deeply proud. We are praying for Lynne, Liz, Mary, and the Cheney family as they honor a great man."
Cheney died at the age of 84 of complications from pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, his family announced in a statement obtained by ABC News Tuesday morning.
"Richard B. Cheney, the 46th Vice President of the United States, died last night, November 3, 2025," the Cheney family said. "He was 84 years old. His beloved wife of 61 years, Lynne, his daughters, Liz and Mary, and other family members were with him as he passed. The former Vice President died due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease."
Cheney's political career in Washington spanned nearly four decades, becoming the youngest White House chief of staff during former President Gerald Ford's administration; representing Wyoming in the U.S. House of Representatives during former President Ronald Reagan's administration; serving as secretary of defense under former President George H.W. Bush's administration. Cheney served as the chairman and CEO of Halliburton Company from 1995 to 2000 before two terms as the younger Bush's vice president from 2001 to 2008, which included initially taking charge on September 11, 2001, as Bush was out of Washington at the time of the initial terrorist attacks.
"When the president came on the line, I told him that the Pentagon had been hit and urged him to stay away from Washington," Cheney wrote in his memoir, In My Time, via ABC News "The city was under attack, and the White House was a target. I understood that he didn't want to appear to be on the run, but he shouldn't be here until we knew more about what was going on."
Cheney is also credited as the mastermind behind the Bush administration's strategy in Iraq during his vice presidency.
"His power is unparalleled in the history of the republic, frankly, for that position," said John Hulsman, a research fellow at the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation, via ABC's Nightline in 2005.