Trump Vance Excluded from Cheney Funeral

A Funeral Symbolizes Republican Division

The solemn funeral of former Vice President Dick Cheney at Washington's National Cathedral became a powerful symbol of the deep rifts within the Republican Party, as Donald Trump and JD Vance were notably absent from the gathering of bipartisan leaders. The service, held on November 20, 2025, drew a who's who of American politics, but conspicuously omitted the current president and his running mate, reflecting Cheney's final political statement against the MAGA movement.

The cathedral filled with an unusual alliance of figures from Cheney's political era: former President George W. Bush delivered the eulogy, praising Cheney as "everything a president should expect in a second-in-command." Among the mourners were Democratic President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former Vice Presidents Mike Pence, Al Gore, and Dan Quayle, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Chief Justice John Roberts. This bipartisan attendance underscored Cheney's legacy as a traditional Republican defense hawk who prioritized institutional loyalty over party loyalty in his final years.

The Snub and Political Fallout

The exclusion of Trump and Vance came as no surprise to political observers. Cheney and his daughter Liz had become vocal critics of Trump, particularly after the January 6th Capitol attack. Liz Cheney, as vice-chair of the House January 6 committee, played a pivotal role in investigating Trump's role in the insurrection, leading the former president to endorse her primary defeat in 2022. The Cheney family's endorsement of Harris in the 2024 election—unthinkable during Cheney's service under Bush—sealed their break with Trump's Republican Party.

"For him, a choice between defense of the constitution and defense of your political party was no choice at all." - Liz Cheney, paying tribute to her father

In her emotional eulogy, Liz Cheney spoke movingly about her father's commitment to American principles over party loyalty, implicitly defending her own decision to confront Trump. "He knew that bonds of party must always yield to the single bond we share as Americans," she declared, drawing a clear line between her father's traditional conservatism and Trump's populist movement. Her words resonated as both a tribute and a rebuke to the current administration.

Cheney's Complex Legacy

Dick Cheney's life story reads like a history of modern American conservatism. Beginning as a 28-year-old special assistant in the Nixon administration, he became the youngest White House Chief of Staff at 34. As Defense Secretary under George H.W. Bush, he oversaw the Gulf War. As Vice President under George W. Bush, he was a central figure in America's post-9/11 response, overseeing the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and expanding government surveillance powers.

Though often called " Darth Vader" during his career for his hawkish views and secrecy, Cheney's funeral highlighted a different dimension: his willingness to break with his party when he believed it threatened constitutional norms. His death at 84 from complications of pneumonia and cardiac disease marked the end of an era for old-guard Republicans, while his funeral became a stark reminder of the party's current divisions.

What Comes Next?

As the Republican Party continues to grapple with its identity post-Trump, Cheney's funeral serves as both a memorial and a political statement. The absence of the current president and his VP from a service honoring a former Vice President signals the enduring power of Trump's influence, even as traditional Republicans mourn the loss of one of their own. The bipartisan attendance suggests that for some, governing still requires crossing party lines—a principle Cheney embodied until his final days.