Trump silent on former Vice President Dick Cheney’s death

The White House lowered flags to half-staff on Tuesday following the death of former Vice President Dick Cheney, while President Donald Trump and his administration remained silent about the Republican politician’s passing. As of Tuesday afternoon, the White House had not issued a statement marking Cheney’s death, nor had Trump weighed in on social media. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt offered only a brief acknowledgement of Cheney’s death at age 84 on Monday when prompted by a reporter during a press briefing. “I know the president is aware of the former vice president’s passing. And as you saw, flags have been lowered to half-staff in accordance with statutory law,” Leavitt said on Tuesday. Cheney, who served two terms as vice president under President George W. Bush, had long represented a brand of Republican politics that clashed sharply with Trump’s populist approach. The divide deepened after Cheney and his daughter, former U.S. Representative Liz C