Overview
- He died on November 3 from complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, with his wife Lynne and daughters Liz and Mary at his side, according to a family statement.
- Across a five‑decade career he served as White House chief of staff, Wyoming’s congressman, secretary of defense, and vice president under George W. Bush.
- He wielded unusual influence after 9/11, helping drive the Iraq invasion and backing expanded surveillance, secret detentions, and enhanced interrogation policies later condemned by critics.
- He lived for years with serious heart disease, surviving multiple heart attacks and receiving a heart transplant in 2012.
- In later years he denounced Donald Trump and said he would vote for Kamala Harris in 2024, as tributes from figures including George W. Bush mixed with sharp debate over his record.