Dick Cheney Funeral: Trump, Vance Excluded

A Nation Divided: Dick Cheney's Funeral Excludes Trump and Vance

Washington, D.C. - The funeral of former Vice President Dick Cheney unfolded at the iconic Washington National Cathedral on November 20, 2025, in a ceremony that underscored America's deep political divisions. The event, attended by a bipartisan array of former leaders, notably excluded current President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, highlighting the enduring rift between Cheney and the modern Republican Party.

A Legacy of Controversy and Conviction

Dick Cheney, who died at age 84 on November 3, 2025, was remembered as a formidable force in American politics. As Vice President under George W. Bush from 2001-2009, he was a key architect of the Iraq War invasion and a powerful advocate for expanded executive authority. His final years were marked by fierce opposition to Donald Trump, whom he called "the greatest threat to our republic in our nation's 248-year history" after condemning the January 6th Capitol attack and endorsing Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

"In our nation's 248 year-history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump."

A Who's Who of American Politics

The cathedral service drew an extraordinary gathering of former presidents and vice presidents. Attendees included Democrat Joe Biden, Republican George W. Bush, Democrat Kamala Harris, and Republican Mike Pence. Cheney's family—wife Lynne, daughter Liz Cheney, and daughter Mary Cheney—were also present. The bipartisan turnout reflected Cheney's long career spanning decades of service, even as his final political stance alienated him from his party's current leadership.

The Snub Heard 'Round Washington

The most striking feature of the memorial was the absence of the current administration. A White House official confirmed that neither Trump nor Vance received invitations to the service. The decision came despite the White House flying flags at half-mast following Cheney's death. When pressed at a Breitbart News event, Vance offered condolences but acknowledged the chasm: "Obviously, there's some political disagreements there." Trump remained silent on Cheney's passing.

George W. Bush's Eulogy

The service's emotional centerpiece was a eulogy delivered by Cheney's former boss and longtime friend, George W. Bush. Bush remembered Cheney as a "man of profound principle" who "answered the call when his country needed him most." The ceremony featured a U.S. military honor guard carrying Cheney's casket and included tributes from bipartisan figures who acknowledged both his significant impact on American history and the polarizing nature of his legacy.

Symbolism Beyond the Service

Excluding sitting presidents from funerals of former rivals is unprecedented in modern U.S. history. The move served as a powerful visual representation of the Republican Party's fracture—a party once unified now split between traditional conservatives and Trump's populist movement. Cheney's family, particularly his daughter Liz Cheney—a fierce Trump critic who led the January 6th Committee—personifies this generational and ideological divide.

As the nation watched the proceedings, the funeral became more than a memorial—it became a referendum on the future of the Republican Party and the state of American political discourse. Cheney's final political act may have been to use his death as a final statement about the values he believed his party had abandoned.