Former President George W. Bush paid tribute to his longtime friend and former Vice President Dick Cheney in a moving eulogy.
Videos by Suggest
During Cheney’s funeral at the Washington National Cathedral on Thursday, Bush spoke about the late politician’s devotion to the United States.
“This was a vice president totally devoted to protecting the United States and its interest,” Bush stated. He also called Cheney’s service to the country “consistent and faithful.”
Bush then recalled the process of selecting Cheney to be his vice president. “In the end, I trusted my judgment,” he said before noting that his father told him, “Son, you couldn’t pick a better man.”
“His talent and restraint exceeded his ego… people always saw something in the man solid, reliable and rare,” Bush continued. “We honor his service and we pray that somewhere up the trail we will meet him again.”
Bush was one of two living presidents to attend Cheney’s funeral. Joe Biden was also in attendance, along with four living former vice presidents.
President Trump and Vice President Vance were not invited to the service.
Dick Cheney’s Daughter Liz Also Spoke About Her Father’s Devotion to the Country During Her Eulogy
Meanwhile, Dick Cheney’s daughter, former U.S. Representative Liz Cheney, also spoke about her devotion to the country.
“He knew you couldn’t truly appreciate what it means to live in freedom if you didn’t understand the sacrifices of the generations who came before,” she explained. “And he made sure that his children and grandchildren understood this, too.”
Liz further stated that her father “thought deeply about what this blessing meant, about the duties it imposed.”
“My dad’s devotion to America was deep and substantive,” she stated.
The former congresswoman also said that her father knew their bonds as Americans had to outweigh political party issues.
“He knew the bonds of party must always yield to the single bond we share as Americans,” she added. “For him, a choice between defense of the Constitution and defense of your political party was no choice at all.”