Former Vice President Dick Cheney died on November 3, 2025, his family confirmed the following morning. After succumbing to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, Cheney’s death drew reactions from his fellow Republicans and politicians — some of whom paid tribute to him while others criticized his actions as VP.
Cheney’s family released a statement on November 4 to announce his death. They called him 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.”
“His beloved wife of 61 years, Lynne, his daughters, Liz and Mary, and other family members were with him as he passed,” the statement read, adding the Cheney family is “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.”
Below, read some of the reactions to Cheney’s death from fellow Republicans and other politicians.
Statement by President George W. Bush on Vice President Dick Cheney:
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. History will remember him as among the finest… pic.twitter.com/fmx7hI4eFD
— George W. Bush Presidential Center (@TheBushCenter) November 4, 2025
George W. Bush
Former President George W. Bush, for whom Cheney served as VP, released a statement, calling Cheney “a patriot who brought integrity, high intelligence, and seriousness of purpose to every position he held.”
“Dick was a calm and steady presence in the White House amid great national challenges,” Bush wrote in his statement. “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.”
George Santos
George Santos criticized Cheney for his leadership in the “war on terror” following the September 11 Attacks.
“Dick Cheney will meet his maker and will have lots of explaining to do,” Santos wrote in a statement, adding, “I wish his family well all things considered, but I haven’t and won’t ever shed a tear for a war criminal of his ilk.”
Mitch McConnell
Mitch McConnell praised Cheney and wrote that his “his intellect, experience, and resolve made America safer.” McConnell added that Cheney provided “steady counsel” to former President Bush during the September 11 Attacks in 2001.
“As grave threats to our security continue to loom, his commitment to American leadership will remain a lesson,” McConnel’s statement read.
