Trump White House Snubs Ex-VP Dick Cheney, Offers No Condolences On His Death
The passing of former Vice President Dick Cheney was met with near-total silence from the White House on Tuesday, as officials confirmed that the decision to fly flags at half-staff was made only because federal law mandates it.
When questioned by reporters, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged that the administration had not made any personal gestures toward Cheney’s family or plans for memorial participation. “I don’t believe the White House is involved in that planning, or at least hasn’t gotten to it yet. 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 according to a statutory law,” she said during her briefing.
Reporters pressed further, asking whether the president would deliver remarks, take part in the funeral, or support calls for Cheney to lie in state at the Capitol. “Last I checked, the president had not commented on the death of former Vice President Dick Cheney. Is the White House involved in the funeral arrangements in any way?” one journalist asked. “Does the president plan to speak at the funeral? Has he spoken to anyone in the Cheney family today? And does the White House have an opinion on whether or not the former vice president should lie in honor or state in the Capitol?”
The subdued response underscored the deep rift between the Trump administration and the Cheney family. President Trump has repeatedly derided Dick Cheney as a “warmonger” and publicly clashed with his daughter, Liz Cheney, who led the Republican contingent on the House committee investigating the January 6 Capitol breach.
The political feud stretched into recent years, when both Dick and Liz Cheney endorsed then–Vice President Kamala Harris during the last presidential race. At the time, the elder Cheney declared, “In our nation’s 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump.”
He continued, “He tried to steal the last election using lies and violence to keep himself in power after the voters had rejected him. He can never be trusted with power again.”
According to the U.S. Flag Code, the national flag must be lowered following the death of a former vice president “from the day of death until interment.” Cheney, who served two terms under President George W. Bush, died Monday at age 84.
{Matzav.com}
