EMOTIONAL MOMENT: George W. Bush Breaks Down While Honoring Dick Cheney at His Funeral
EMOTIONAL MOMENT: George W. Bush Breaks Down While Honoring Dick Cheney at His Funeral
Former President George W. Bush delivered a deeply emotional tribute at the funeral of former Vice President Dick Cheney, struggling through tears as he honored the man he called both a trusted partner and a true friend.
Speaking to Cheney’s wife Lynn, daughters Liz and Mary, and the extended Cheney family, Bush opened his eulogy by acknowledging the weight of the moment.
“Though not a happy assignment, I do consider it an easy one,” he said softly. “Because there was so much to like and admire about Dick Cheney.”
“When you choose one Cheney, you get four.”
Bush recalled the tight-knit Cheney family with warmth and humor, noting that the former vice president owed much of his strength to the women in his life.
“As I quickly discovered in 2000—when you choose one Cheney, you get four.”
He emphasized how deeply Cheney loved his family, saying the nation stands with them in grief.
The Decision That Changed Everything
Bush recounted the moment he asked Cheney to help him search for a vice-presidential running mate. After weeks of reviewing candidates, Bush realized the best choice was the man sitting across from him.
But Cheney remained humble—even skeptical.
“Before I made my decision, he insisted on giving me every reason I shouldn’t choose him.”
Bush remembered telling his own father, former President George H.W. Bush, about the choice. His father replied:
“Son, you couldn’t pick a better man.”
A Life of Discipline, Loyalty, and Quiet Strength
Bush painted a portrait of Cheney as a man whose talent exceeded his ego, a listener in a world of talkers, and a public servant whose calm steadiness defined an era.
“In a profession that attracts talkers, he was a thinker and a listener.”
He recalled Cheney’s unwavering loyalty during the challenges of their administration:
“In moments of testing, Dick Cheney was the model of concentration, alertness, and composure.”
A Career Built on Character
Bush spoke of Cheney’s rise from working on transmission lines in Wyoming to becoming Chief of Staff in the Ford administration—crediting much of Cheney’s transformation to his wife Lynn.
“His life would have turned out a whole lot different if he had never met her,” Bush said.
He praised Cheney’s extraordinary endurance through decades of heart issues, joking that Cheney had become “an authority on cardiovascular disease” through sheer necessity.
A Legacy Rooted in Friendship
Cheney’s humility extended to the end. Bush recalled a rare public reflection Cheney offered late in life:
“When you can look back on a lifetime in politics and what you value most are the friendships… then I guess you’ve done all right.”
Bush’s voice cracked as he closed his tribute, speaking directly to the man he served beside for eight historic years.
“The son of Wyoming… left a very fine mark on our lives.
We are grateful for his good life.
We honor his service.
And we pray that somewhere up the trail, we will meet him again.”
With those words, the 43rd President stepped away from the podium—eyes wet, visibly shaken, and met with solemn silence from the gathered mourners.
