NEED TO KNOW
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Nearly all the living former vice presidents attended the funeral of Dick Cheney on Nov. 20
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Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, Al Gore and Dan Quayle were seated in the VIP area of the Washington National Cathedral for the service
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Notably absent was sitting President Donald Trump and his vice president, JD Vance
Multiple former U.S. vice presidents gathered on Thursday, Nov. 20, to pay tribute to one of their own, Dick Cheney.
Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, Al Gore and Dan Quayle were all in attendance at Cheney’s funeral at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Harris and Pence were seated next to one another, with Jill Biden between Harris and her husband.
Cheney died on Nov. 3 at 84 years old, due to “complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease,” per a statement at the time.
In addition to the former VPs, attendees included Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Republican Senators John Thune and Mitch McConnell, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and more.
SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty
(L to R): George W. Bush, Laura Bush, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, Karen Pence attend the funeral service for Dick Cheney on Nov. 20, 2025
Notably absent from Thursday’s invite-only funeral were President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. It is tradition for the sitting president to pay respects to any former president or vice president who dies while they are in office.
Trump still hasn’t publicly acknowledged Cheney’s death. On Nov. 4, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said simply that Trump was “aware” of the news, ABC News reported.
“I know 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,” she told the press at the time.
Vance spoke at a Breitbart event on Thursday morning, acknowledging Cheney’s death for the first time.
“Obviously, there are some political disagreements there, but he was a guy who served his country; we certainly wish his family all the best in this moment of grieving,” he said.
Trump has had a tense relationship with the Cheney family, particularly the former VP’s daughter, Congresswoman Liz Cheney. She was one of 10 Republicans to cross party lines and vote for his second impeachment after the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
After she broke with Trump in 2021, Liz Cheney was ousted from her leadership role in the U.S. House of Representatives. She lost a bid for reelection after failing to win her primary in 2022.
Dick supported his daughter in her reelection efforts and had harsh words for Trump, who backed her opponent.
“In our nation’s 246-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump,” Dick said in a campaign ad. “He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him.”
Describing Trump as “a coward,” the former politician added, “A real man wouldn’t lie to his supporters. He lost his election and he lost big. I know it, he knows it, and, deep down, I think most Republicans know it.”
David Hume Kennerly via Getty
Dick Cheney and Liz Cheney in Wyoming on Aug. 6, 2016
Liz has continued to speak out against Trump. Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, she responded after he suggested that she face a firing squad.
“This is how dictators destroy free nations,” she wrote on X. “They threaten those who speak against them with death. We cannot entrust our country and our freedom to a petty, vindictive, cruel, unstable man who wants to be a tyrant.”
In a tribute shared with PEOPLE at the time of Cheney’s death, his family wrote, “For decades, Dick Cheney served our nation, including as White House Chief of Staff, Wyoming’s Congressman, Secretary of Defense, and Vice President of the United States.”
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“Dick Cheney was a great and good man who taught his children and grandchildren to love our country, and to live lives of courage, honor, love, kindness, and fly fishing,” the statement continued. “We are grateful beyond measure for all Dick Cheney did for our country. And we are blessed beyond measure to have loved and been loved by this noble giant of a man.”
PEOPLE has reached out to the White House for comment.
Read the original article on People
