Cain dies after contracting COVID-19
WASHINGTON – Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain has died after a battle with COVID-19, according to posts Thursday on his Twitter account and his website.
The former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, who also served as the co-chair of Black Voices for Trump, was hospitalized at the beginning of July after developing COVID-19 symptoms.
Cain, 74, attended President Donald Trump’s rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at the end of June and did not wear a mask.
Cain ran for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2012 Republican primary, attracting attention for his “n-9” plan to slash taxes. He suspended his campaign in December 2011 amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Cain denied the allegations.
Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill, Sen. Mitt Romney, the GOP’s presidential nominee in 2012, said he was “saddened” to hear about Cain’s death.
“We campaigned against each other in a presidential contest,” Romney said, “but it was fun being with him.”
In a post on Twitter, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Cain “embodied the American Dream and represented the very best of the American spirit.”
“We will never forget his legacy of grace, patriotism, and faith,” McEnany wrote.
Cain first entered politics in 1994 when he publicly challenged President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, on his proposal to force employers to buy health insurance for their employees. “For many, many businesses like mine, the cost of your plan is simply a cost that will cause us to eliminate jobs,” Cain told Clinton.
The centerpiece of Cain’s presidential campaign was his 9-9-9 plan, which would have replaced the current tax code with a 9% tax on personal and corporate income and a 9% national sales tax.