Democrats and Republicans have come together to mourn former US Vice-President Dick Cheney at his funeral in Washington DC.
Cheney, who served under President George W Bush from 2001-09, died from complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease in early November at the age of 84.
Bush, a Republican, stated in his eulogy: In a profession that attracts talkers, he was a thinker and a listener. Former President Joe Biden, a Democrat, was also in attendance.
Cheney is remembered as one of the most powerful vice-presidents in history, playing a key role in Bush's war on terror following the 9/11 attacks and advocating for the invasion of Iraq.
During the ceremony at Washington National Cathedral, Bush recounted how Cheney had offered to step down from the ticket during their challenging re-election campaign in 2004, saying, I arrived at the conclusion they do not come any better than Dick Cheney. He emphasized that Cheney was everything a president should expect as a second-in-command.
In recent years, Cheney had found himself at odds with parts of the Republican Party, especially after he criticized former President Donald Trump’s refusal to accept the outcome of the 2020 election. Cheneys’ daughter, Liz Cheney, also faced backlash for her opposition to Trump.
Among the attendees of the funeral were Vice President Kamala Harris, former Vice Presidents Mike Pence and Al Gore, though Trump and other prominent Democrats like former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton were notably absent.
