Dick Cheney’s cause of death has been confirmed after his family announced the tragic news earlier this week.
The family of former Vice President Dick Cheney, full name Richard Bruce Cheney, released a heartbreaking statement just yesterday (November 4), announcing his death.
The statement read: “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.
“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 served as Vice President of the US under President George W. Bush, from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009.
He was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, on 30 January 1941, and died at the age of 84.
Despite being a republican, in his final years, he became a firm critic of the conservative party, particularly under the leadership of President Donald Trump.
Prior to his death, he claimed: “In our nation’s 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic.”
Despite having a successful career in politics, with some even branding him the most powerful vice presidency in American history, Cheney was a controversial character for some years.
On February 11, 2006, he shot Harry Whittington, a 78-year-old Texas attorney.
The incident occurred while the two were participating in a hunt on a ranch, and both Cheney and Whittington claimed the event was an accident.
Early reports indicated that Cheney and Whittington were friends, and that the injuries he sustained as a result were minor.
His role in the Iraq War was also highly controversial.
Cheney took the lead on the 2003 invasion of Iraq, arguing that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction, despite none being found.
As a result, there was widespread criticism that he, and others in government, misled the public to justify the war, in which more than 400,000 US troops were deployed.
Throughout his life, Dick Cheney long dealt with severe heart problems.
The former vice president survived five heart attacks during his lifetime, the first of which occurred during his first congressional campaign at 37.
He suffered a further two after being elected as a congressional member, and the fourth happened following the presidential election in 2000.
As vice president, he had a cardiac defibrillator implanted, but suffered his fifth and final heart attack after leaving office.
Soon after, he was fitted with a device that helped to pump blood around his body, and had a heart transplant in 2012.
Speaking about his condition, co-author of his book, Jonathan Reiner, said: “He has the longest history of heart disease of any of my patients.
“He has the most complex history in terms of how difficult his disease became, the most number of moving parts. And he happens to be Dick Cheney.”
In their statement this week, Cheney’s family revealed that the politician had died from complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease.
