A Gathering of Political Titans
The Washington National Cathedral hosted a solemn gathering of America's political elite as former Vice President Dick Cheney was laid to rest. The 46th vice president, who died earlier this month at age 84, received a funeral that served as both a tribute and a reflection on his controversial legacy.
More than a thousand guests witnessed eight military body bearers carefully place Cheney's flag-draped casket on a catafalque in what observers described as a gentle, reverent ceremony. The event brought together former presidents and vice presidents from both political parties, creating an atmosphere that harkened back to a less divisive political era.
Notable Absences and Symbolic Presence
The ceremony featured some significant political figures while conspicuously excluding others. Former President Donald Trump and his vice presidential candidate JD Vance were not invited to the proceedings, despite Trump's prominent position in the Republican party. This exclusion highlighted the ongoing rift between the traditional Republican establishment and the newer MAGA movement.
Among the attendees were prominent media figures and political operatives including Bill Kristol, Chris Wallace, James Carville, Anthony Fauci, and Rachel Maddow, whose presence underscored the event's significance within Washington's political circles.
Complex Legacy Remembered
The two-hour ceremony featured plangent music, solemn processions, and emotional eulogies beneath the cathedral's stained glass and soaring vaulted ceiling. Former President George W Bush, appearing with a blue tie and receding hairline, eulogised Cheney as "solid and rare and reliable", praising his former deputy's restraint and dedication to country.
Cheney's daughter, Liz Cheney - who was ousted from Republican leadership for her opposition to Trump - delivered a subtle tribute to her father's later political evolution. She noted how John F Kennedy inspired her father to enter public service and emphasised that "bonds of party must always yield to the single bond we share as Americans".
The Iraq War Elephant in the Cathedral
While eulogies celebrated Cheney's personal qualities and dedication to public service, there was little mention of the more controversial aspects of his tenure. The funeral made no reference to the hundreds of thousands killed in the Iraq war, which Cheney had championed using the since-disproven claim that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction.
This omission was particularly striking given how Cheney's advocacy for the Patriot Act and enhanced interrogation techniques helped expand presidential powers that later administrations, including Trump's, would utilise. The gathering of predominantly white Washington elite represented what critics might call a selective remembrance of American history.
As one observer noted, the ceremony served as a requiem for the Republican party that Cheney once helped shape - a party that has since transformed dramatically from the one he helped lead during the Bush administration.
