“Herman Cain Speaks” (CC BY-NC 2.0) by J. Stephen Conn
On Thursday, Herman Cain, the former Republican presidential candidate, and good-natured business magnate died. Cain, 74, was hospitalized for coronavirus after he went to the Atlanta hospital for treatment on July 1. News of his death was released on his website and Facebook page.
My friend Herman Cain, a Powerful Voice of Freedom and all that is good, passed away this morning. Herman had an incredible career and was adored by everyone that ever met him, especially me. He was a very special man, an American Patriot, and great friend. I just got off…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020
“Herman Cain – our boss, our friend, like a father to so many of us – has passed away,” the message on his website said, stating there were “hopeful indicators” in recent days that he’d recover but adding: “And yet we also felt real concern about the fact that he never quite seemed to get to the point where the doctors could advance him to the recovery phase.”
Newsmax posted an obituary confirming Cain passed away on Thursday. Cain contributed to Fox News for years as well.
Herman Cain embodied the American Dream and represented the very best of the American spirit.
Our hearts grieve for his loved ones, and they will remain in our prayers at this time. We will never forget his legacy of grace, patriotism, and faith.
— Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) July 30, 2020
Former Cain employee Ellen Carmichael tweeted Thursday morning: “I’m very saddened to learn of the passing of my former boss, Herman Cain. I’m bracing for the cruelty online about how he deserved to get COVID and die because of his politics. We’re living in a dark time. But, they didn’t know him. I did.”
Cain’s health
A couple of days ago, Cain’s staff shared in several tweets that he was undergoing oxygen treatment but his organs and body were strong.
Cain, who was the co-chairman of Black Voices for Trump, supported the president’s rally in Tulsa on June 20.
In 2006, Cain was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer that progressed to his liver. He was told that he has only a 30 percent chance of survival. Luckily, he successfully received chemotherapy and had been in remission since.
Past successes
Cain is known for making food chains like Burger King and Godfather’s Pizza profitable. He also served as chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. His prominence, however, started in 2012 when he became a Republican presidential nominee.
He had a strong following including the Tea Party activists and good chances to win. But his campaign was crushed when he was accused of sexual harassment and misconduct during his work as the CEO of the National Restaurant Association in the late 1990s. He opposed the claims but dropped out of the race.
Cain entered politics in 1996 as a senior adviser to Bob Dole’s presidential campaign.
After his 2012 presidential bid, he launched T.H.E. New Voice, an advocacy group targeting tax reform, national security, and energy policy. Cain was also a frequent commentator on Fox News.
