President Donald Trump on Thursday honored former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain after he died from the coronavirus.
Trump called Cain a “wonderful man and a dear friend of mine.”
“He was a very special person, I got to know him very well,” Trump said at a press conference at the White House on Thursday.
Trump noted that Cain died from the coronavirus which the president described as the “China virus.”
Cain, 74, tested positive for the virus earlier in July but was in a high-risk category as a stage 4 colon cancer survivor.
Cain was the co-chair of Trump’s reelection coalition Black Voices for Trump and the president seriously considered nominating the former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza to the Federal Reserve board in April.
Trump also honored Cain on Twitter.
“My friend Herman Cain, a Powerful Voice of Freedom and all that is good, passed away this morning,” Trump wrote. “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.”
…the phone with his amazing wife Gloria, daughter, Melanie, and son Vincent to express my deepest condolences to the entire family. @FLOTUS Melania and I loved Herman Cain, a great man. Herman, Rest In Peace! pic.twitter.com/GNUf5jHjX0
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020
“We send our prayers to Herman’s great wife Gloria, wonderful family,” Trump said.
The president mourned the loss of all of the 150,000 Americans killed by the virus.
“We’re working very hard to not only contain this horrible event, this horrible plague but also to come up with therapeutics and vaccines,” Trump said.
