Former presidential candidate Herman Cain dies of COVID-19 after month in hospital
Former U.S. presidential candidate Herman Cain died Thursday morning after a month-long battle with the coronavirus.
The news of Cain’s death was confirmed by a post on his Twitter page and website. He was 74 years old.
“Herman Cain – our boss, our friend, like a father to so many of us – has passed away,” according to a post on his website. “He’s entering the presence of the Savior he’s served as an associate minister at Antioch Baptist Church in Atlanta for, and preparing for his reward.”
President Donald Trump commented on Cain’s death Thursday afternoon. He said he spoke on the phone with Cain’s wife, daughter and son to send his condolences.
“Herman had an incredible career and was adored by everyone that ever met him, especially me,” Trump wrote. “He was a very special man, an American Patriot, and great friend.”
Cain tested positive for COVID-19 on June 29 and was admitted to an Atlanta-area hospital July 1, a previous statement read. Two weeks after he was admitted, Cain’s team gave an update on his prognosis that stated doctors liked the progress he was making.
It’s unclear how Cain contracted the virus. On June 20, he attended Trump’s rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he tweeted a picture of himself around other people not wearing masks.
A post on Cain’s website states Cain was taken to the hospital by ambulance when he started having trouble breathing. “It became clear pretty quick that he was in for a battle,” the post states.
His team said they felt concerned when doctors were unable to “advance him to the recovery phase.”
Earlier this week, a post on Cain’s Twitter account said he was being treated with oxygen at the hospital.
Formerly the CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, Cain ran for president in the 2012 election. The Pew Research Center said he was the most covered Republican candidate by the news media in 2011. He ultimately lost the Republican nomination to Mitt Romney.
Cain has been a vocal supporter of Trump, appearing and speaking at some of his rallies. Trump considered Cain last year for a spot on the Federal Reserve Board, but Cain removed himself from contention, CNN reported.
“Although he was basically pretty healthy in recent years, he was still in a high-risk group because of his history with cancer,” the post on his website states. “We all prayed so hard every day. We knew the time would come when the Lord would call him home, but we really liked having him here with us, and we held out hope he’d have a full recovery.”
