Dick Cheney made his final major public appearance on Monday, shortly before his passing, to back his daughter, Liz Cheney, a former Republican representative. During her passionate address in September 2022, Liz criticized GOP leaders for treating Donald Trump like a “king.”
The 84-year-old Cheney passed away due to complications from pneumonia and cardiovascular disease. He was present at an event organized by the conservative American Enterprise Institute, where Liz sharply condemned Trump.
In her speech, Liz expressed her outrage, saying, “Those who defend Donald Trump, the elected leaders of my party, are willing to take SCI’s top secret documents and keep them in a drawer at Mar-a-Lago or in an unsecured location, pretending it’s acceptable.”
Watching alongside his wife, Cheney remained supportive of Liz, who has found herself increasingly estranged from the party as its dynamics shift.
Just weeks prior, she had released a striking advertisement where she wore a cowboy hat and labeled Trump a “coward,” delivering a fierce critique of the former president.
Cheney stated in an August 5, 2022, ad, “In our nation’s 246-year history, no one has posed a greater threat to our country than Donald Trump.” She expressed her determination for Liz to contribute to preventing Trump from returning to the Oval Office, believing she would be successful.
However, two weeks after launching her ad, Liz was defeated in the primary by Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.), who had Trump’s endorsement.
Liz Cheney had been gaining prominence within the Republican Party, even serving as the chairman of the House Republican Conference, until her removal in 2021 due to her stance against Trump.
She publicly denounced Trump’s influence on the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot and was vice chair of the now-defunct House Select Committee investigating that event.
On January 6, 2022, the one-year anniversary of the Capitol events, Cheney visited to honor the occasion alongside her daughter.
Meanwhile, Trump has been vocally critical of the Cheneys, accusing them of warmongering and laying particular blame on the former vice president for the Iraq War.
Last September, the Cheneys endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris, who is campaigning for the presidency in 2024.
In a statement, Cheney remarked, “In our nation’s 248-year history, no one has posed a greater threat to our country than Donald Trump,” stressing that his use of lies and violence to maintain power after the election made him untrustworthy.
Dick Cheney is survived by his wife and two daughters.
