A Gathering of Trump Critics: High-Profile Figures Attend Dick Cheney’s Washington Funeral

A wide array of political figures, media personalities and former officials converged at the Washington National Cathedral for the funeral of former Vice President Dick Cheney, a longtime critic of the MAGA movement. The service drew Democrats, prominent Republicans who have opposed Donald Trump, former administration officials and leading journalists — underscoring the deep and persistent divisions that have defined recent American politics.

Notably absent were President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama; Trump was not listed among the invited guests, and the Obamas did not attend by choice. Cheney’s daughter, Rep. Liz Cheney, who has been an outspoken critic of Trump, played a central role in organizing the guest list.

High-profile attendees and long-running disputes

Gen. Mark Milley, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has publicly criticized Trump, calling some of his actions alarming for American democracy. Trump has responded with harsh rhetoric toward Milley. (There is no public record that Milley received a presidential pardon.)

Nancy Pelosi, former House speaker, and other senior Democrats attended despite long-standing and often personal attacks exchanged between her and Trump over the years. Although Pelosi and Cheney differed politically on many issues, both were vocal opponents of Trump’s most recent campaign.

John Bolton, a former national security adviser who later became one of Trump’s most prominent critics on cable news, attended as well. Bolton has faced legal scrutiny over classified material, a case many commentators have framed in political terms. Bolton and Trump have traded sharp public insults.

Mike Pence — who remained with the Trump administration through January 2021 but refused to abandon his constitutional duty during the Capitol attack — was among several former vice presidents present, including Kamala Harris, Al Gore and Dan Quayle.

Dr. Anthony Fauci and MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow were seated near one another. Fauci became a focal point of the pandemic-era debates and conspiracy theories, while Maddow has been an outspoken critic of Trump on-air.

Mitch McConnell attended with his wife, Elaine Chao. McConnell and Trump have had a fraught relationship at times, and Chao, who was born in Taiwan, was the target of racially tinged attacks by Trump during his presidency.

Prominent journalists and commentators in attendance included Chris Wallace, John King and Dr. Jonathan Reiner. Several Republican figures who have publicly broken with Trump — including Senators Lisa Murkowski and Bill Cassidy, former Representatives Adam Kinzinger and John Boehner, and longtime Republican strategist Karl Rove — also paid their respects.

Liz Cheney was a central presence at the service and is widely recognized as one of Trump’s most vocal Republican opponents — a stance reflected in the choices of who was invited. Former CIA Director John Brennan, who has sparred with Trump since the 2016 investigations and had his security clearance revoked under the Trump administration, was also present.

What the turnout signaled

The collection of attendees — from Democratic leaders to establishment and anti‑Trump Republicans, plus media figures and public health officials — highlighted the unusual cross‑section of voices united in mourning Cheney. The guest list illustrated not only personal and political rifts with Trump but also the broader polarization of recent years.

While funerals are primarily occasions for family and remembrance, the service at the National Cathedral served as a visible moment in which longstanding feuds and alliances were on public display.