Trump and Vance Left Off Guest List for Dick Cheney’s Funeral in Washington

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were notably absent from Thursday’s memorial service for former Vice President Dick Cheney, as neither received an invitation to the event held at Washington’s National Cathedral. The decision, confirmed by multiple reports, underscores the enduring rift between the Republican establishment of the Bush era and the current MAGA-led GOP.

Cheney, who died on November 3 at the age of 84 due to complications from pneumonia and heart-related illness, served as George W. Bush’s vice president during the War on Terror and was once considered a central figure in modern Republican leadership. But his public break with Trump-era conservatism—particularly following the events of January 6—marked a permanent fracture.

According to a report from Axios, sitting presidents are typically invited to funerals of former vice presidents. However, the Cheney family reportedly opted to exclude Trump, citing the deep personal and political divide that has widened since 2020. Cheney, once supportive of Trump, became one of his harshest GOP critics following the Capitol protests, even appearing in campaign ads for his daughter Liz Cheney as she railed against Trump’s influence over the party.

CNN separately reported that Vice President JD Vance was also not invited to the service, despite the event drawing over 1,000 dignitaries from across the political spectrum. Those in attendance included former presidents George W. Bush and Joe Biden, along with former vice presidents Kamala Harris, Mike Pence, Al Gore, and Dan Quayle. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Elena Kagan were among the Supreme Court members present, as were congressional leaders such as John Thune, Nancy Pelosi, and Mitch McConnell.

In his eulogy, George W. Bush remembered Cheney as a “calm and steady presence” and “one of the finest public servants of his generation.” That sentiment, however, was not universally shared within the GOP’s current leadership.

Many Trump-aligned Republicans have long viewed Cheney’s legacy with skepticism, particularly in light of the Iraq War and his unapologetic stance on Bush-era foreign policy. Among MAGA supporters, Cheney is often cast as emblematic of the old guard—hawkish, entrenched, and out of step with the America First movement.

The decision to exclude both Trump and Vance from the funeral was not without political message. It reflects the Cheney family’s alignment with anti-Trump Republicans and Democrats alike, an alliance that became more visible during Liz Cheney’s campaign efforts and her participation in the House committee targeting January 6.

President Trump responded to the situation shortly after the funeral news broke. On Truth Social, he blasted the Cheney family for their involvement in Democratic campaigns, saying, “The Democrats made a BIG mistake in getting Crazy Liz Cheney, and her father, Dick, involved in their campaign for President. It made the Republicans angry, and the Democrats just plain scratching their heads in amazement. It is always a bad idea to bring ‘losers’ into a political campaign!”

The move to shut out the sitting Republican president and vice president from the funeral of a former GOP icon may be unprecedented in modern political history. But for many, it simply highlighted the deep fault lines between the neoconservative establishment of the early 2000s and the populist realignment that has taken over the Republican Party under Trump.