Trump says he doesn’t think Herman Cain got coronavirus at the president’s Tulsa rally
Before leaving the White House on Friday, President Trump praised Herman Cain and said he doesn’t believe the 2012 Republican presidential candidate got the coronavirus at Trump’s June 20 rally in Tulsa, Okla. Cain died on Thursday after contracting COVID-19. Earlier at a White House briefing, Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany referred to Cain’s website regarding speculation that he may have gotten coronavirus from the rally, saying, “We’ll never know.”
Video Transcript
DONALD TRUMP: Herman Cain was a great man. He did a fantastic job. He was respected by everybody. He was loved by everybody. And we will miss Herman Cain.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
Who?
- Are you worried he called COVID in Tulsa?
DONALD TRUMP: No, I don't think he did, no. Thank you.
- Herman Cain passed away yesterday, and obviously he had tested positive for COVID nine days after attending the president's rally in Tulsa. Officials there have connected the rally to a spike in cases. Is there any concern that Herman Cain may have contracted coronavirus at the president's rally? And is the task force doing any follow-up to track other potential cases from that event?
KAYLEIGH MCENANY: Look, Herman Cain is the absolute embodiment of the American dream. We are grieved, and we are very saddened by his passing. He was raised in Atlanta, Georgia, on a small farm. He left with just the clothes on his back. His mother was a housekeeper. I mean, he rose to be an extremely successful businessman and someone who was-- who contended for the nomination of our party.
And I-- I would refer you to a post on Herman Cain's website, and he says, "I realize"-- or his website, rather-- "I realize people will speculate about the Tulsa rally, but Herman did a lot of traveling the past week. And I don't think there's any way to trace this to one specific contact that caused the infection. We'll never know." So that-- and I will not politicize Herman Cain's passing, and I would just note the great contributions he's made to our society. We'll always remember him, and his legacy will stand.
