Former Vice President Dick Cheney dies at 84

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Former Vice President Dick Cheney has died at the age of 84, according to a report from CNN.

Cheney served as Vice President under 43rd President George W. Bush from 2001-2009.

Before becoming Bush’s running mate and influential advisor, Cheney served in numerous government roles.

He first worked in the White House under presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, elevating to Chief of Staff in 1975.

Cheney was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1978 joining the House of Representatives for Wyoming.

George H. W. Bush appointed Cheney his Secretary of Defense, leading the Pentagon from 1989 until 1993 when Bill Clinton was sworn into the White House.

He worked as CEO of energy company Halliburton from 1995 until 2000 when he was selected as Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush’s running mate.

The pair ran against outgoing Vice President Al Gore and Senator Joe Lieberman of Connecticut.

Winning the White House after a drawn out recount and eventual controversial Supreme Court decision, Cheney became an influential figure in the “War on Terror” after the September 11, 2001 al-Qaeda attacks on New York City and Washington, D.C.

The administration drafted and spearheaded the invasion of Afghanistan in October of 2001 in response to the 9/11 attacks and the country’s harboring of al-Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden.

While Operation Enduring Freedom significantly disrupted the terror network’s stability, bin Laden was able to dodge detection.

The administration turned its attention to Iraq with its controversial claims that the nation was attempting to procure and develop weapons of mass destruction.

The 2003 invasion and and fall of Baghdad led to an extended and deadly conflict in the country, with approximately 4,600 U.S. troops dying in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Estimates of Iraqi deaths in the war are heavily disputed and debated, ranging from 150,000 to 1 million.

Bush and Cheney won re-election in 2004 against Senator John Kerry and Senator John Edwards.

Cheney was most recently in the spotlight alongside his daughter former Congresswoman Liz Cheney with their endorsement of Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

This is a developing story. Stay with ABC6 for further details.