Everything former Vice President Dick Cheney did was out of "love of country and concern about the United States and the security of all Americans," said former Deputy National Security Adviser KT McFarland to Newsmax, adding that the prospect of another terrorist attack after 9/11 "consumed" Cheney.
The hard-charging conservative who became one of the most powerful and polarizing vice presidents in U.S. history and a leading advocate for the invasion of Iraq, died Nov. 3 at 84 years old from complications of pneumonia and vascular disease.
"I've most recently been quite a heavy critic of his, especially for the 'forever wars.' But what I think the legacy of Dick Cheney is — that because he had been in the White House as an aide, because he had been the secretary of defense before he had the job of vice president … Dick Cheney came to the job having already been in the Cabinet for a number of years," McFarland said Thursday during an appearance on "Newsline."
"And what I was struck with was that a lot of our mutual friends said that what seemed to consume Dick after 9/11 was the prospect of another terrorist attack on the United States, that we would be caught unaware again," she continued.
"He would have his morning briefings, his vice president's daily brief, and he would be really focused on the many, many plots all over the world," McFarland added.
"And so, I think that really consumed his vice presidency. And because he had been secretary of defense during the first Iraq War, he knew about wars in the Middle East."
"I think that's why it just became his entire focus. I think, tragically, he lost track of a lot of other national security issues we had, especially the rise of crime," she said.
"But I don't think anything Dick Cheney did was out of anything other than love of country and concern about the United States and the security of all Americans."
On Sept. 11, 2001, 19 al-Qaida terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing two into the twin towers of New York City's World Trade Center and a third into the Pentagon, while passengers on a fourth plane, United Flight 93, fought back and went down in a Pennsylvania field.
The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people, led to the collapse of both towers, and triggered the U.S.-led war on terror, reshaping American foreign policy, domestic security, and the country's political psyche for decades.
After the attacks, then-Vice President Cheney became the nerve center of the Bush administration's immediate response. He spent the early hours in a secure bunker beneath the White House, coordinating with the Pentagon, the CIA, and congressional leaders as the scale of the attacks unfolded.
In the months that followed, he emerged as one of the most forceful advocates for an aggressive national security posture — pushing for the invasion of Afghanistan, expanded surveillance powers, and the use of enhanced interrogation techniques against terror suspects.
Cheney also helped shape the legal framework for the war on terror, backing the creation of military tribunals, warrantless wiretapping programs, and the argument that the executive branch had broad wartime authority.
McFarland said, "Whether you liked or didn't like him or agreed with his policies or not, I think it's fitting that we have these national celebrations where we all come together."
"Hopefully, we all come together and mourn our leaders because of the huge sacrifice they make in their own lives for us."
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Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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