President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were not invited to former Vice President Dick Cheney’s funeral on Thursday, November 20, 2025, marking a notable break from tradition at the Washington National Cathedral service. While it is customary for sitting presidents to pay respects at funerals for former presidents and vice presidents who die during their term, the Cheney family excluded the current administration from the guest list for the 11 a.m. service.
The funeral, which was invite-only and attended by over 1,000 guests, brought together a bipartisan group of political leaders to honor Cheney, who served as vice president under George W. Bush from 2001 to 2009. Former presidents Joe Biden and Bush attended, along with former vice presidents Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, Al Gore and Dan Quayle. Bush delivered the eulogy at the service, while Cheney’s daughter Liz Cheney also spoke.
Cheney reportedly died on November 3, 2025, at the age of 84 from complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease. His death came after a lifetime of heart health challenges that he battled throughout his decades-long political career. The former vice president had been one of the most influential figures in American politics, having also served as White House chief of staff for President Gerald Ford and defense secretary under President George H.W. Bush before his vice presidency.
The exclusion of Trump and Vance came as little surprise given the deep political rift between the Cheney family and the current president. That divide intensified after Liz Cheney, who represented Wyoming in Congress, voted to impeach Trump in January 2021 following the Capitol riot. She was one of 10 Republicans who crossed party lines to support the second impeachment. The former congresswoman later served as vice chair of the House January 6 committee, which investigated Trump’s role in the events of that day.
Both Dick and Liz Cheney endorsed Harris during the 2024 presidential election, a stunning departure from Republican party loyalty that underscored their opposition to Trump. Dick Cheney, once a pillar of the Republican establishment, had become one of Trump’s fiercest critics within conservative circles. His daughter lost her congressional seat in 2022 after Trump endorsed her primary challenger, effectively ending her political career in Wyoming.
Notable absences at Thursday’s service included former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. A spokesperson for Clinton said he had an unavoidable scheduling conflict, while Obama did not attend. Despite their absence, the funeral drew other prominent political figures including Democratic Representative Nancy Pelosi and Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, reflecting Cheney’s long tenure in Washington and his relationships across the political spectrum.
During her remarks at the funeral, Liz Cheney spoke about the education she and her sister Mary received from their father regarding the importance of the American republic and public service. She emphasized lessons that appeared to reference her own decisions to hold Trump accountable, noting that her father understood constitutional duty transcended partisan politics. “But he knew that bonds of party must always yield to the single bond we share as Americans,” she said. “For him, a choice between defense of the constitution and defense of your political party was no choice at all.”
The funeral service brought together figures from what some observers have called the “old-school” Republican establishment, those who held power during Cheney’s era in the early 2000s. Bush’s eulogy avoided any mention of power struggles with his vice president, instead praising Cheney’s service and character. The gathering represented a political landscape that has dramatically shifted since Cheney left office, with Trump having reshaped the Republican party in ways that left traditional conservatives like the Cheneys politically isolated.
Trump’s intelligence briefing was scheduled for 11 a.m. on Thursday, the same time the funeral began, and the service did not appear on his public schedule for the day. The White House confirmed that neither Trump nor Vance would attend. Vance told reporters on November 19 that he was sending condolences to the Cheney family despite political disagreements, acknowledging that Cheney “was a guy who served his country.”
The service at Washington National Cathedral marked the end of an era for a generation of Republican leaders who dominated American politics in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Cheney’s career spanned five decades and included service in multiple Republican administrations, making him one of the most experienced political operators in modern American history. His influence on foreign policy, national security, and executive power continues to shape debates in Washington.
The funeral arrangements, made by Cheney’s family including his widow Lynne Cheney, reflected the personal and political divisions that have come to define contemporary American politics. By excluding the sitting president and vice president while welcoming leaders from both parties who served in earlier eras, the service became a gathering of a political establishment that has largely been displaced by Trump’s influence over the Republican party.
