Washington National Cathedral Memorializes Dick Cheney with Full Military Honors

Washington’s National Cathedral is hosting a private memorial for former Vice President Dick Cheney on November 20, drawing a gathering of senior figures from across American politics and government. The invitation only service includes full military honors, remarks by former President George W. Bush and by members of the Cheney family, and is attended by several Supreme Court justices and congressional leaders, according to accounts of the event.

The guest list brings together multiple former vice presidents and several former presidents, underscoring the institutional reach of the vice presidency Cheney occupied from 2001 to 2009. Military ceremonial elements at the cathedral were visible reminders of the public role Cheney played in shaping national security policy after the attacks of September 11, 2001, and of a long public life intertwined with the executive branch.

Absent from the service are President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, who were not invited. Media reports framed the omissions as a break from customary practice for national memorials, attributing the decision to Cheney’s recent public estrangement from Mr. Trump and to choices made by the Cheney family about the guest list. The absence of the sitting president at a high profile memorial for a former vice president reflects strains within the Republican Party and the continuing aftermath of intra party conflict that has reshaped Washington politics.

The cathedral, a frequent site for national observances, provides a symbolic backdrop for a figure whose record is deeply contested. Cheney’s tenure as vice president is widely credited with expanding the institutional authority of the office and with promoting a vigorous approach to counterterrorism. At the same time his association with the Iraq war, aggressive interrogation policies and expansive executive power have made him one of the most polarizing figures in recent American political history.

The memorial therefore serves both as a moment of formal honor and as a flash point for reflection about the policy choices that defined the early 21st century. For Washington insiders present at the cathedral, the ceremony reinforces longstanding institutional norms regarding the military and ceremonial treatment of senior statesmen. For the broader public the event is a reminder of how personal legacies intersect with national debates about security, law and the limits of executive authority.

As Republican officials and national leaders process the service, the exclusions and the high level attendance are likely to reverberate in political conversations in the weeks ahead. The memorial at the cathedral is at once a tribute and a public punctuation of a career that will continue to influence debates over foreign policy and governance for years to come.