ATLANTA — Herman Cain, the former GOP presidential candidate and ally of President Donald Trump, was hospitalized this week for COVID-19 in the Atlanta area.
A statement posted to his Twitter account said he had tested positive for the virus on Monday and had "developed symptoms serious enough that he required hospitalization" on Wednesday.
The 74-year-old has not required a ventilator, a sign that his illness has not progressed seriously enough to be life-threatening. The statement said he spent the night in the hospital and is "resting comfortably" and "awake and alert."
"There is no way of knowing for sure how or where Mr. Cain contracted the coronavirus, but we do know that he is a fighter who has beaten Stage 4 cancer," the statement said. "With God's help, we are confident he will make a quick and complete recovery."
Cain currently hosts conservative talk shows on his website, hermancain.com, and on Newsmax TV.
On the hermancain.com website, columnist Dan Calabrese wrote: "COVID-19 is a horrible thing to experience, and while we are sure Herman will beat it just like he beats everything, he really needs prayer right now."
The Morehouse College alum and one-time fast food executive has been a visible campaign surrogate for Trump, and was among those at the president's rally in Tulsa on June 20. A tweet he posted at the rally, picturing him in the crowd and close to others without a mask, circulated after the announcement.
He also had tweeted yesterday linking to a story about the holiday celebration scheduled for Friday at Mount Rushmore: "Masks will not be mandatory for the event, which will be attended by President Trump. PEOPLE ARE FED UP!"
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