Donald Trump and JD Vance were not invited to the funeral of former US vice-president Dick Cheney, which took place on Thursday at the National Cathedral in Washington DC, according to a White House official familiar with the matter. Cheney, a Republican defence hawk who became a fierce critic of Trump, died earlier this month at the age of 84.
The service was attended by a bipartisan group of former leaders, including Joe Biden, George W Bush, Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, Al Gore, and Dan Quayle. Former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton were notable absentees, with a spokesperson for Clinton citing an unavoidable scheduling conflict. The liberal MSNBC host Rachel Maddow also made an appearance, highlighting the unusual political alliances formed in the wake of Trump's influence.
George W Bush delivered the eulogy, praising Cheney as 'everything a president should expect in a second-in-command.' Liz Cheney, Dick's daughter and former Republican congresswoman, spoke about her father's dedication to public service and the constitution, alluding to her own decision to hold Trump accountable for the January 6 Capitol riot without naming him directly.
Trump's exclusion was unsurprising given his long-standing animosity towards Liz Cheney, who served as vice-chair of the January 6 committee and endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Both Liz and Dick Cheney had endorsed Harris, a break from their Republican roots that would have been unthinkable during Dick Cheney's tenure as vice-president.
Dick Cheney, once regarded as one of the most polarising vice-presidents, died on 3 November from complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease. He was instrumental in the US response to the 9/11 attacks and the subsequent invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, and served under multiple Republican administrations over a decades-long career in Washington.
