Richard Arnold: US Correspondent on the Epstein Files and Dick Cheney's Funeral

George W. Bush has paid a fond farewell to his friend and former Vice President, Dick Cheney. 

The former Republican President has spoken at Cheney's funeral at Washington's National Cathedral. 

He was a divisive figure in American politics, both for his role as the driving force behind the Iraq War, and his scathing criticism of Donald Trump. 

But Bush has told Cheney's family, many Americans are grieving Cheney's death. 

US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking Trump did not take part in the funeral, and wasn’t invited. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Richard iald Good morning, Good what do you want? I said,
fair well to mister Cheney.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Yeah, the memorial service is just concluding. But as it
was getting underway at the National Cathedral in Washington, one
Democrat quipped, whoever would have thought that in the mega
Republican divorce the Dems would get Dick Cheney. That speaks
to how much politics has changed since Cheney was in office.
In his day, cheney be course was viewed as polarizing, strident.
Darth Vega's son called him that. In twenty twenty four,

(00:27):
the one time vice presidents of George W. Bush and
one time Defense chief Congressman youngestev presidential chief of staff,
all of that declared he would be voting not for
Donald Trump but for Kamala Harris. The reason, he said,
was his devotion to the US Constitution. And so it
is that at this service, attended by the living former
presidents Biden, Clinton and Bush and Vice Presidents al Gord

(00:48):
dan Quayle and Mike Pence, Trump did not take part.
He was not invited. A markedly older George W. Bush
has spoken he's seventy nine now, and he talked of
cherishing his partnership and friendship with Chaney. Some might say
it's rob Bush of some of his independents at the time.
George W. Also described the notorious moment when Cheney was
head of the vice presidential search committee and came up

(01:10):
with his own name as the person best qualified for
the job. There was a little more to it, I
said Bush.

Speaker 3 (01:17):
Before I made my decision, he insisted on giving me
a complete rundown of all the reasons I should not
choose him. He also heard one of my top advisors
was against the choice, so Dick invited him to make
the case.

Speaker 2 (01:31):
Also speaking was Pete Williams, his former aide former Pentagon spokesman,
who related a story he says Cheney loved. At a
time when he was out in his home state of
Wyoming campaigning for another term in the US House, He.

Speaker 4 (01:43):
Said he walked up to one old rancher, stuck out
his hand and said, I'm Dick Cheney. I'm running for Congress.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
And I'd like to have your vote, and the rancher replied, you.

Speaker 4 (01:52):
Got that guy?

Speaker 1 (01:53):
We got in there.

Speaker 4 (01:53):
Now is no damn good.

Speaker 2 (01:56):
Cheney's longtime cardiologist also has spoken, doctor John and Rymer,
who downplayed his talent for eulogy, saying, no.

Speaker 4 (02:04):
One wants a doctor who's great at funerals.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
Good point. Cheney had his first heart attack at age
thirty seven, then four more heart attacks, and then he
underwent a heart transplant, passing away at age eighty four.
His daughter Liz Cheney, has concluded the memorial service with
what politics aciet now becomes? I guess the man's central theme?

Speaker 4 (02:24):
Though he was inspired to service by President Kennedy, Dick
Cheney became a Republican, but he knew that bonds of
party must always yield to the single bond we share
as Americans. For him, a choice between defense of the
Constitution and defense of your political party was no choice

(02:48):
at all.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
Words that are far too rare today.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
So what are we doing? We wipe for the dejoe?

Speaker 4 (02:53):
Now?

Speaker 1 (02:53):
Is that what's happened?

Speaker 4 (02:54):
I guess?

Speaker 2 (02:54):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (02:55):
What next?

Speaker 2 (02:55):
In the Epstein scandal, Trump has signed into effect the
far release of just he works so furiously to kill.
If Trump wanted the files out in the open, he
could release them at any time immediately. Instead, this bill
gives the Gustus Department thirty days to responded it off
as a loophole, saying they can block anything that could
affect an ongoing investigation. Well, Trump just surprised opened an

(03:16):
investigation into the involvement with Epstein of Democrats alone, so
they could be used to block much of the files.
Senate Democratic leader Schumann says.

Speaker 4 (03:25):
This is not an invitation for Donald Trump to pick
and choose his version of the truth.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
Still, many think this is what will happen. And Trump's
Attenney General Pam Bondi was asked, what changed since stent
that you liked this investigation?

Speaker 4 (03:38):
Information that has come for information, there's information that new information.

Speaker 2 (03:46):
How convincing is that.

Speaker 1 (03:48):
Richard Donald State's side pull out from Fox He's underwater Trump.
Seventy six percent of voters via the economy negatively. They
blame both the President and Biden for the current state
of the economy the shut down. Once again, they blame
both science. Overall, forty one percent approve of the job
Trump is doing. Fifty eight percent disapproved. That's the underwater bit.

(04:10):
Forty percent of Americans say the personal finances are excellent
or good, but sixty percent say they're fair or poor.
Job ratings on foreign policies underwater they're as well. Forty
three percent approve fifty five percent disapprove.

Speaker 2 (04:23):
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