Associated Press reported that former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney passed away on the evening of November 3 local time, aged 84. Cheney was a hardline Republican figure, considered to be "the most powerful vice president" in the United States. The outside world also believed that he had incited then-president George W. Bush to launch the Iraq War in 2003. He and his daughter were opponents of Trump within the Republican Party and had stated they would vote for Democratic candidate Harris.

Cheney's family stated in a statement that he died due to complications from pneumonia and cardiovascular disease.

According to reports, Cheney had suffered five heart attacks and long believed that he was merely "keeping on living." Cheney once revealed that years ago he had turned off the wireless function of his heart defibrillator, fearing that terrorists might remotely operate it to deliver a fatal electric shock to his heart.

Cheney was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, in January 1941. His father was a long-term employee of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He entered Yale University with a full scholarship but dropped out after one year due to poor grades.

Later, he returned to Wyoming and eventually enrolled at the University of Wyoming.

In 1968, Cheney went to Washington as a congressional researcher, becoming a student of Illinois Republican Congressman Donald Rumsfeld. He worked in two government departments and the Gerald Ford administration, and later became the White House Chief of Staff at the age of 34, becoming the youngest person to hold this position in history.

After serving in this position for 14 months, he returned to his hometown and ran for the only congressional seat in the state, which he won multiple times.

During the presidency of George H.W. Bush, Cheney served as the U.S. Secretary of Defense and led military operations during the Gulf War. When George W. Bush became president, Cheney returned to politics and served as vice president.

During his tenure, the U.S. vice presidency was no longer just a symbolic "idle job." Cheney built a secret communication network to influence policies on Iraq, counterterrorism, and energy, among other core conservative agendas.

According to reports, due to Cheney's firm stance on Iraq, as other hawkish figures left the government, he gradually became isolated. Although he was proven wrong on several key issues related to Iraq, he always believed himself essentially correct.

He claimed that the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States were related to pre-war Iraq, but this link did not actually exist. He said the U.S. military would be welcomed as "liberators," but this was not the case.

During Bush's second term, Cheney's influence gradually declined, and his proposals were constrained by court rulings or changes in political realities. He advocated expanding presidential power and taking harsh measures against suspected terrorists, but these were rejected by the courts. His hawkish stance on Iran and North Korea also did not receive full support from Bush.

Several months after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Cheney spent most of his time in an undisclosed location, separating from Bush to ensure that at least one member of the U.S. leadership would survive in the event of subsequent attacks.

Associated Press reported that Cheney and Bush reached an unspoken agreement. Cheney gave up the chance to succeed Bush in running for president in exchange for power comparable to that of the president in certain aspects.

Cheney once said: "When I decided to serve the president, I clearly made it my only agenda to be his. I wouldn't think about running for president after his term like most vice presidents."

Years after leaving office, Cheney became a target of criticism from President Trump. Dick Cheney's daughter, Liz Cheney, was a major critic of Trump within the Republican Party.

In a television ad filmed for his daughter, Cheney said: "In the 246-year history of the United States, no one has ever posed a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump. He tried to steal the last election through lies and violence after voters rejected him, keeping his power. He is a coward."

Cheney also said last year that he would vote for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris to oppose Trump.

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