Dick Cheney Feared That Terrorists Would Hack His Heart and Kill Him
In an interview with "60 Minutes," former Vice-President Dick Cheney reveals he once feared that terrorists would be able to hack into an electrical device that helped his heart function and kill him with a jolt of electricity.
Cheney, who's promoting a new book that explores the great progress in treating heart conditions (including his own) over the past few years, believed that the threat was substantial enough to have his doctor turn off the device's wireless functionality. Cheney's fear was actually used as a plot point in the Showtime series, Homeland.
"I was aware of the danger, if you will, that existed, but I found it credible," Cheney said in the "60 Minutes" interview. "Because I know from the experience we had and the necessity for adjusting my own device that it was an accurate portrayal of what was possible."
Cheney has a long history of heart problems, and remains alive mostly due to the amazing strides that scientists (many funded by the Federal government) have made in treating heart conditions. But could a terrorist group really kill the "prince of darkness" by hacking into his heart? Cheney and his doctors definitely thought so.
It's good to know that the people in charge of scaring America for almost a decade we're just as fearful themselves.