Herman Cain, the former Republican presidential candidate and prominent businessman, died a month after being hospitalized with COVID-19.
“We knew when he was first hospitalized with COVID-19 that it was going to be a tough fight,” a post on its website said Thursday. “He had trouble breathing and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. We all prayed that the initial medicines they gave him would bring him back to normal, but it quickly became apparent that he was in a battle. ”
The publication said there were “hopeful indicators, even just five days ago when doctors told us they thought it would eventually recover, although it wouldn’t be fast.”
However, “he never seemed to get to the point where doctors could get him into the recovery phase.”
A previous post on Cain’s website said it was unclear how or when the former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza contracted the virus.
Cain was 74 years old. He had been “pretty healthy” in recent years, according to the publication. However, he was considered at increased risk for serious coronavirus complications due to his 2006 history of colon and liver cancer.
The author and media commentator had just started hosting a show on Newsmax TV and was increasing media engagement in the lead up to the 2020 election.
Cain attended President Donald Trump’s indoor campaign rally in Tulsa on June 20, in which the crowds were smaller than expected, but the masks were not mandatory.
Cain tested positive for coronavirus on June 29 and was hospitalized on July 2. At the time, a statement on his Twitter account said he was “resting comfortably in an Atlanta-area hospital.”
Cain’s photos of the rally show that he does not wear a face mask, however, he said in a video on his website that he had worn one while in large groups. She said that everyone at the rally had their temperature checked and distributed hand sanitizer.
He predicted that “even though it was a crowded room, if they took precautions, [there is] probably not going to be a big improvement. “
The Trump campaign revealed a few hours before the rally that six employees had tested positive during the routine evaluation. Two Secret Service officers also tested positive.
A July 2 post on Cain’s website announcing the positive result of his coronavirus test, written by Dan Calabrese, said: “I realize that people are going to speculate on the Tulsa concentration, but Herman traveled extensively. last week. I don’t think there is any way to trace this back to the only specific contact that caused it to become infected. We will never know. “
Prominent Republicans, including the president, have continually downplayed the virus, pushed for the country to reopen, and questioned the need for face masks and social distancing. But Republicans have also been spared the virus’s more severe health impacts.
On Wednesday, Representative Louis Gohmert (R-TX), who had decided not to wear a face mask while on Capitol Hill, announced that he had tested positive, the same day the co-founder of the conservative student group Turning Point USA died of complications from coronavirus. . Six other Republican members of Congress have tested positive, as have several members of Trump’s inner circle and Vice President Mike Pence.
Cain climbed the corporate ladder in the 1980s, serving as an executive at Burger King, president and CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, and then working for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City in the 1990s. He worked for the 1996 presidential campaign. Bob Dole before having his own inclination to the highest position in 2011.
Cain’s impressive debate performances and his central tax plan 9-9-9 – a proposal to replace all taxes with a 9 percent income tax, federal sales tax, and corporate tax – turned him in a legitimate contender in 2012. However, he suspended his campaign when allegations of sexual misconduct emerged.
He was still a prominent Republican voice and one of the few African American public figures who supported President Trump. In turn, Trump said he intended to nominate Cain to one of two vacant seats on the Federal Reserve Board in mid-2019. But, amid renewed scrutiny of allegations of sexual misconduct, Cain fell withdrew when it seemed like he didn’t have enough votes to back up his confirmation.
Cain is survived by his wife Gloria, his children Melanie and Vincent, and several grandchildren.
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