- Former Vice President Dick Cheney, who died on Nov. 3 at the age of 84, is being laid to rest after a funeral service at the National Cathedral in Washington.
- Cheney’s daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney, eulogized her father as knowing “that bonds of party must always yield to the single bond we share as Americans.” The pair had become outspoken critics of President Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, and despite deep roots in the Republican Party they both said in 2024 that they were voting for Vice President Kamala Harris.
- Former President George W. Bush gave a eulogy honoring Cheney as “a gentleman by nature, and a true man of the West.” Former President Joe Biden also attended the service.
- A senior White House official said Mr. Trump was not invited. Mr. Trump did not issue a public statement after Cheney’s death.
Casket is carried out of cathedral
After a prayer, Cheney’s casket was carried out of the National Cathedral by eight military body bearers shortly after 1 p.m. while the Battle Hymn of the Republic was sung.
Rev. Randolph Hollerith in homily says “death is only one more step in the journey”
Rev. Randolph Hollerith, dean of the cathedral, spoke of how much Cheney loved his family. He said Cheney didn’t speak of faith often, but said Cheney told his wife he often turned to God for guidance.
“Death is not the end,” the reverend said. “Death is only one more step in the journey.”
Liz Cheney says that to her dad, “a choice between defense of the Constitution and defense of your political party was no choice at all”
Liz Cheney said her father knew their bonds as Americans must outweigh party politics.
“He knew the 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.”
She said her father’s last words were to tell her mother, Lynne, that he loved her.
Liz Cheney says Cheney was inspired by JFK to go into politics
Liz Cheney noted that “many know the story of his time at Yale,” but she said he took issue with anyone who said he “flunked out.”
“He would correct you: No, no I was asked to leave. Twice,” she laughed.
She said he took a break from school, spending “several years building power lines across the west.” She said she had heard part of those stories before, but it wasn’t until she worked with him on his memoirs that she heard the whole story.
Liz Cheney said that when her father was at the University of Wyoming in the fall of 1963, he heard John F. Kennedy urge students to dedicate their lives to public service.
“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.
Liz Cheney says her father’s “devotion to America was deep and substantive”
Former Rep. Liz Cheney, Cheney’s daughter, recalled what it was like for her and her sister, Mary, to grow up with their father. Her father would read every plaque and sign in every place at every battlefield and every museum they ever visited. Eventually, the two daughters began to read the signs, too.
“He knew you couldn’t truly appreciate what it means to live in freedom if you didn’t understand the sacrifices of the generations who came before,” she said. “And he made sure that his children and grandchildren understood this, too.”
Liz Cheney said her dad “thought deeply about what this blessing meant, about the duties it imposed.”
“My dad’s devotion to America was deep and substantive,” she said.
