NEED TO KNOW
-
Former President Joe Biden emerged at Dick Cheney’s funeral in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Nov. 20, weeks after completing radiation treatment for cancer
-
The service coincided with Biden’s 83rd birthday
-
Biden succeeded Cheney as vice president in 2009, and went on to serve two terms in the role alongside former President Barack Obama
Joe Biden appeared at the funeral of Dick Cheney in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Nov. 20 — his 83rd birthday.
Biden was one of only two former presidents to attend Cheney’s funeral service. George W. Bush — who tapped Cheney as his two-term vice president — also attended and was slated as a speaker.
Cheney died on Nov. 3 at age 84.
Biden was seen sitting next to former first lady Laura Bush on one side, while Biden’s wife, former first lady Dr. Jill Biden, sat on his other side. Next to Jill was former Vice President Kamala Harris, who was seated beside former Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen Pence.
When Biden first entered the White House as vice president in 2009, he succeeded Cheney, whose terms as VP were largely defined by his influence on the Iraq War and support for America’s invasion of the country.
Biden’s Thursday appearance comes amid his ongoing cancer treatment after he disclosed his “aggressive” prostate cancer diagnosis in May. In late October, his daughter Ashley shared photos of him ringing the bell at Penn Medicine to celebrate the completion of radiation treatment.
While Biden has scaled back his public appearances since the end of his presidential term in January, he did recently speak at the Nebraska Democratic Party’s annual Ben Nelson Gala on Nov. 7, where he celebrated Democrats winning in some key races on Election Day.
Andrew Harnik/Getty
Joe Biden laughs with Laura Bush at the funeral service for Dick Cheney on Nov. 20, 2025
Related: https://people-app.onelink.me/HNIa/kz7l4cuf
Other attendees at Thursday’s funeral service included Liz Cheney, the late VP’s daughter, who broke ranks with the Republican Party in 2024 to officially endorse VP Harris for president. Dick also cast his vote for Harris in the 2024 election and warned of dire consequences if Trump were elected for a second term.
Biden notably awarded Liz the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January for “for putting the American people over party” in recognition of her opposition to President Donald Trump — which harmed her own political career — and her encouragement of bipartisanship.
While Biden was in attendance on Thursday, former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama were both absent, as were former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Trump and Vice President JD Vance were also missing at the funeral. Axios reported that Trump was not invited; it’s generally considered customary for presidents to attend a funeral of any former president or vice president who dies while they are in office. CNN reported that Vance was also seemingly not invited to the funeral.
Trump had a chilly relationship with the Cheneys after both openly opposed him while he ran for a second term.
Read the original article on People
