Richard Bruce Cheney (January 30, 1941 – November 3, 2025) was an American politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009. Considered the main architect of the Iraq War, Cheney has been called the most powerful vice president in American history. Born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, Cheney later lived in Casper, Wyoming. He attended Yale University before earning a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in political science from the University of Wyoming. He began his political career as an intern for Congressman William A. Steiger, eventually working his way into the White House during the Nixon and Ford administrations. He served as White House chief of staff from 1975 to 1977. In 1978, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and represented Wyoming's at-large congressional district from 1979 to 1989, briefly serving as House minority whip in 1989. He was appointed Secretary of Defense during the presidency of George H. W. Bush and held the position for most of Bush's term from 1989 to 1993. As secretary, he oversaw Operation Just Cause in 1989 and Operation Desert Storm in 1991. While out of office during the Clinton administration, he was the chairman and CEO of Halliburton from 1995 to 2000; he received a $33.7 million severance package. In July 2000, presumptive Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush chose Cheney as his running mate in the 2000 presidential election. They defeated their Democratic opponents, incumbent vice president Al Gore and senator Joe Lieberman. In 2004, Cheney was reelected to his second term as vice president with Bush as president, defeating their Democratic opponents, senators John Kerry and John Edwards. During Cheney's tenure as vice president, he played a leading behind-the-scenes role in the Bush administration's response to the September 11 attacks and coordination of the Global War on Terrorism. He was an early proponent of the decision to invade Iraq, falsely alleging that the Saddam Hussein regime possessed weapons of mass destruction and had an operational relationship with al-Qaeda; neither allegation was ever substantiated. Cheney also pressured the intelligence community to provide intelligence consistent with the administration's rationales for invading Iraq. He was often criticized for the Bush administration's policies regarding the campaign against terrorism, for his support of NSA warrantless surveillance, and for his endorsement of enhanced interrogation techniques and torture. Cheney, whose daughter Mary is a lesbian, supported same-sex marriage in 2004, putting him at odds with Bush, but also said it was "appropriately a matter for the states to decide". Cheney ended his vice-presidential tenure as a deeply unpopular figure in U.S. politics, with an approval rating of 13%. His peak approval rating, just after the September 11 attacks, was 68%. Cheney endorsed Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020 but became a critic after the January 6 United States Capitol attack; he endorsed Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. Cheney died the following year from complications related to pneumonia and vascular disease.