Trump still mum on former VP Cheney's death
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President Trump boards Air Force One on Nov. 5 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
President Trump has not publicly remarked on the death of former Vice President Dick Cheney more than 24 hours after it was announced.
Why it matters: His lack of comment furthers Trump's departure from presidential conventions. Traditionally, sitting presidents, including Trump, quickly offer condolences to the family after a former president or vice president dies.
The big picture: Trump's second term has been defined by efforts to punish his foes and cement his dominance over the Republican Party.
- Cheney, who died Monday at 84 years old from complications of pneumonia and heart disease, embodied the pre-Trump GOP establishment before emerging in his final years as a fierce critic of the president.
What they're saying: "The president is aware of the former vice president's passing, and as you saw, flags have been lowered to half staff in accordance with statutory law," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a Tuesday news conference.
- She said she does not believe the White House is involved in the planning of his funeral arrangements or "hasn't gotten to it yet." She did not answer whether Trump spoke with anyone in the Cheney family.
- The White House on Wednesday referred Axios to Leavitt's Tuesday comments.
- The president was vocal on other matters after Cheney's death was announced, sharing several Truth Social posts Tuesday and Wednesday.
Context: Cheney reshaped the vice presidency into one of Washington's most powerful roles as a principal architect of the Iraq War and an early champion of the post-9/11 "war on terror."
- He also served as a Wyoming congressman, President Gerald Ford's chief of staff and President George H.W. Bush's defense secretary.
Behind the scenes: Cheney's daughter, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), went from the House GOP leadership to supporting his second impeachment.
- She endorsed former Vice President Harris in the 2024 presidential race and campaigned with Democrats. In November, Trump defended his remarks that Liz Cheney should have "guns trained on her face."
- Former Vice President Cheney called Trump a "coward" and the greatest "threat to our republic." He backed his daughter's efforts to hold Trump accountable for the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.
Zoom out: President Trump's responses were timely to the deaths of former President Carter last year and former President Bush in 2018.
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