A6 EZ RE THEWASHINGTONPOST.FRIDAY,JULY 31 , 2020
thecoronaviruspandemic
actually spent time with him,”
Jack said. “Wehavenot received
anyreportsofanyonecontracting
covid at therally.I’m not saying
there’s notsomebodyout there.
I’mjustsaying we haven’t re-
ceived anyreports from anybody
directly linked to the rally.I
thought somebodywould have
caughtit.”
TheJune 20 rally was widely
deridedbypublichealthofficials,
and its more than 6,000 partici-
pantslargely eschewed masks
anddid not sit in asocially dis-
tanced way; in fact, placards
placed on everyother seatto
ensure social distancingwere re-
movedbefore the rally started.
SeveralSecretServiceagentsand
advance stafftested positivebe-
foretherally.Tulsa’shealthdirec-
tor,BruceDart,latersaidtherally
“likely”contributedto aspikein
Tulsa’scovidcases.
Duringhis bid for the 2012Republicannomination,ulti-
matelywonbyMittRomney, Cain
becameknown for his simplified
tax plan, knownas Nine-Nine-
Nine, and for complaintsthathe
sexuallyharassedwomen.
TheNine-Nine-Ninetax plan
would have dramaticallyre-
worked the tax system. It would
havesettaxratesat9percentfor
incometax, sales tax and corpo-
ratetax.
Trump metwithCain in Janu-
ary2019aboutjoiningtheFederal
Reserve Board. Askedfor com-
ment in an interviewatthe time
on whether he was being consid-
ered for the post, Cain made a
playonhis famoustax proposal
andsaid,“None-None-None.”
Cain confirmed, though,that
he was at the White House. “It’s
hardtomissasix-footBlackman
in ablack hatwalking out of the
White House,”hesaid with a
laugh. He laterwithdrewhimselffrom consideration, citing “how
bigapaycutthiswouldbe.”
Cainservedontheboardofthe
Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas
City, butthose posts are often
given to businessexecutives and
communityleaders who serve to
informtop Fedofficials about
whattheyare seeing in the labor
market andthe economymore
broadly.
Cain withdrewfromconsider-
ation for the central bank posi-
tionaftersomelawmakers,econ-
omists and Wall Streetinvestors
questioned his qualifications for
the post, and noted the allega-
tions of sexual harassmentand
misconductthatderailedhis
presidentialcampaign.Oneofthe
accuserssaidshewouldtestifyat
his confirmation hearingif given
thechance.
Somelawmakersalsohadcon-
cerns thatthe nomination of a
close politicalally of the presi-BYJOHNWAGNER,
ROBERTCOSTA
ANDANNIEGOWENHermanCain,theformerpizza
chain executive who sought the
2012 Republican presidential
nomination,hasdiedweeksafter
testing positivefor the coronavi-
rus.
“You’reneverreadyforthekind
ofnewswearegrapplingwiththis
morning,” DanCalabrese,theedi-
tor of Cain’s website,wrote in a
statement Thursday. “Herman
Cain—ourboss,ourfriend,likea
father to so manyofus—has
passedaway.”
Calabreseconfirmedthedeath
to TheWashington Post and said
the cause was covid-19, the dis-
ease caused by the novel corona-
virus.
Althoughit is unclearwhere
Cain, who was 74,contracted the
disease,he was among several
thousandpeople,mostofwhom
did not wear masks, who attend-
ed aTrump campaignrally in
Tulsa on June 20. Cain, who co-
chairedBlack Voices for Trump,
was photographed masklessand
notsocially distancing at the
event.
Cain is one of the mostpromi-
nent Americansto have died of
thevirus,whichhasclaimedmore
than 150,000lives in the United
States. Word of his death comes
amid aheightenedfocus on how
seriouslyRepublicanshavetaken
advicefrommedicalexperts.
On Wednesday, Rep.Louie
Gohmert(R-Tex.), who had been
seen walkingthe halls of the U.S.
Capitolwithoutamask and not
socially distancing,announced
thathehadtestedpositiveshortly
before aplannedAir Force One
flightwithPresidentTrump.
Tributes to Cain’s business ac-
complishmentsand politicalen-
deavors pouredin from leading
Republicansafter the announce-
mentofhisdeath.
“MyfriendHerman Cain, a
PowerfulVoiceofFreedomandall
thatisgood, passedaway this
morning,”Trumpsaidintweetsin
which he relayed thathehad
spokentomembersofCain’sfam-
ily.“Herman had an incredible
career and was adored by every-
onethatevermethim,especially
me.Hewasaveryspecialman,an
American Patriot, and great
friend.”
House MinorityLeaderKevin
McCarthy(R-Calif.)saidCain“led
an accomplishedlife —business
titan,cancersurvivor,andRepub-
licanpresidentialcandidate.”
“Hewill always be remem-
bered for his love of country,”
McCarthyaddedinatweet.
Cainwashospitalizedlessthan
twoweeksafter attending
Trump’s campaignrally in Tulsa.
Before being hospitalized,he ad-
vertised in atweetthatmasks
wouldnotberequiredatanInde-
pendenceDaycelebration that
Trump staged at MountRush-
moreinSouthDakota.
“PEOPLEARE FED UP!” Cain
wrote.
An update posted on Cain’s
Twitterfeedthreeweeksagosaid
he was “still in an Atlanta-area
hospital,wheredoctorsaretrying
tomakesurehisoxygenlevelsare
right.”
“This is atough virus, but we
serve atougherGod. Herman
wants to getback in action soon,
so please continuepraying,” the
tweetsaid.
Bob Jack, chairmanof the Tul-
sa CountyRepublicanParty, said
the party was actively seekingto
speak with those who had met
with Cain at Trump’s rally in Tul-
sa, where he was photographed
sitting with other Black Republi-
cans without amask and not
practicingsocialdistancing.
“Lookingfor peoplethatat-
tendedthePresidentTrumpRally
andmetwithHermanCain,”Jack
posted on the party’s Facebook
pageThursdayafternoon.“Please
calltheTulsaGOPofficeandleave
amessagefortheChairman.”
In an interview, Jack said he
was aware Cain was at the rally
butthathewas“kindofunderthe
radar.”
“I didn’t talktoanyone thatdent,whohasraisedhundredsof
thousandsof dollarsfor Trump
andlashed out at his critics,
would threaten the bank’sinde-
pendence.
Cain’smomentaryascenttothe
heightsof Republicanpresiden-
tial politicsin 2011 mirroredhis
firstemergence in the political
world nearly twodecades earlier,
withthepowerofhispersonality,
plushisrootsasaBaptistpreach-
erandbusinessexecutivemaking
national headlinesand connect-
ingwithsomevoters.
In1994,Cain,aschairmanand
CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, con-
frontedPresident Bill Clinton
duringatelevisedtownhallabout
health care. Cain’s conservative
critiquemadehimaminorstarof
sorts in the GOP at thetime, and
led him to build relationships
with then-House GOP power-
house Newt Gingrichand New
York Congressman Jack Kemp,
amongothers.Helatersupported
Steve Forbes’s2000 presidential
bid.
But in 2004, when he finally
jumpedintothepoliticalarenaas
acandidate,Cainwasdefeatedby
JohnnyIsakson in Georgia’sRe-
publicanSenate primary, aset-
back he would often referenceas
acontestthattaught him about
politics.Twoyears later,hewas
diagnosedwithStage4coloncan-
cer,but after chemotherapy it
subsided.
Once cancer-free,Cain began
tomuseaboutapresidentialcam-
paignofhisownandbegantogive
frequentspeechesacross the na-
tiontobusinessandconservative
groups,slowlybuildinghisprofile
with talks and asyndicated col-
umnandmediaappearances.Fox
News hostSean Hannitybecame
apersonal ally,and tea party
groupsstarted to makehim a
regularatgatherings.
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]ColbyItkowitz,Emily Langer,Julie
Tate and HeatherLong contributedto
this report.Former Republican presidential contender Herman Cain dies of covid-
JABINBOTSFORD/THEWASHINGTONPOST
From left,Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.), Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt,the Rev. C.L. Bryantand
HermanCain,masklessand sittingcloseby, attendPresident Trump’s June 20 campaign rallyinTulsa.BYCAROLMORELLOPublichealthexpertscalledfor
urgentnewmeasuresThursdayto
haltthespreadofthecoronavirus
amidwarnings the U.S. economy
is in ahistoric and devastating
contraction as covid-19 is killing
Americansattherateofaboutone
everyminute.
Thestock market took adive
after theCommerceDepartment
reported the economyshrank by
9.5 percent in thesecond quarter,
thebiggestrecordeddeclinesince
the government began keeping
track 70 yearsago.The govern-
mentalsoreported joblessclaims
climbing again lastweek by
1.4million,anothersigntherecov-
eryisfizzling.GDP shrank at an
annual rateof32.9percent, ac-
cordingtotheBureauofEconomic
Analysis.
Thedismal statistics under-
scoredthefragilityofanyeconom-
ic recovery, as many states are
reversingtheirattemptstoreopen
forbusinessand have imposed
newrestrictions.
At an evening news briefing,
PresidentTrump tried to swat
away the raft of bad newsabout
the economyand the disease,
whichhereferredtoasthe“China
virus”andcomparedtoaplague.
“It’sChina’sfault,” hesaidflatly.
Trump noted aresurgence of
thediseaseinstatesthatappeared
tohavevanquishedcovid-19early,
largely duetodraconianrestric-
tions, and suggested the praise
waspremature.
“Governorsthatwere extreme-
lypopulararenotsopopularany-
more,”hesaid.“Theywereheldup
asmodelstofollow,andthenthey
gotit.”
Butindeflectinganyblamefor
the spread of the virusheonce
predicted would miraculously
vanishindaysandnowhaskilled
nearly150,000Americans,Trump
offered several misrepresenta-
tions.
Forexample, he said children
were“immune”tothediseaseand
shouldreturntoschoolthisfall.In
fact,immunologistshavesaidthat
whilechildrenundertheageof
areunlikelytotransmitthenovel
coronavirus, children older than
10canspreaditaseasilyasadults.
Trump also predictedarapid
economic recovery fromthe pre-
cipitousdropinemploymentand
consumerspendingcausedbythe
pandemic.
“I think next year’s going to be
anexcellentyear,maybeoneofour
bestyearseverfromaneconomic
standpoint,” Trumpsaid.
Jerome H. Powell, the chairof
the Federal Reserve, saidany re-
coverydependsonwhetherAmer-
icans are willing to embrace be-
havior thatcan beatbackthe vi-
rus.
“The path of the economyis
goingtodepend,toaveryhigh
extent, on the course of the virus
and on the measureswetaketo
keepitincheck,”hesaidWednes-
day. “Social distancing measures
andafastreopeningoftheecono-
my actuallygotogether.They’re
notincompetitionwitheachoth-
er.”
Trump also used thecoronavi-
rus briefing to attack mail-invot-
ing,hours after his Republican
alliesjoined Democratstorebuff
hissuggestion to delaythe Nov. 3
election.Trumpsaidhewantsthe
election decided quickly,rather
thandragonuntil millionsof
mail-inballots are counted and
determinedtobelegitimate.
“I don’t want to seethattake
place in aweek,after Nov. 3, or a
month,”hesaid. “Or frankly,with
litigationandeverythingelsethat
couldhappen,itcouldtakeyears.
Years. Or you nevereven know
whowontheelection.”
Trump soundedmoremuted
thancombative,asthe death toll
continued to mount and experts
warnedofthe potentialofeco-
nomiccollapse.
Nationwide, 1,400 people in-
fected with the coronavirusdied
Wednesday, the highest number
sinceMay.Several states, includ-
ingFloridaandCalifornia,report-
ed record highs for deaths in a
single day. More than 4.4million
cases have been reported in the
UnitedStates,andnearly150,
peoplehavedied,accordingtoThe
WashingtonPosttracker.
Among the deaths Thursday
was well-known businessman
turned politicianHerman Cain,
whosoughttheRepublicannomi-
nation for presidentin2012. He
had attended aJune 20 rallyfor
PresidentTrump in Tulsa,wherehewasphotographedmasklessin
acrowd of others whowere also
without masks, butitwas not de-
terminedwhetherthatiswherehe
contractedthevirus.
Amidmostly glum news, opti-
mismwas in shortsupply. Even
though newinfections have lev-
eledoffinsomeofthehardesthit
statesintheSouth,theyarecreep-
ing up elsewhere, threatening to
surge.
Thetrendspromptedboth ad-
ministration insiders andpublic
healthexpertstourgegovern-
mentstoactmoreaggressively.
Deborah Birx, the coordinator
of the White House coronavirus
taskforce, said states andlocali-
ties shouldmandatewearing
masksinpublic.During an appearance on Fox
News, Birxsaid there remains a
“veryseriouspandemic”inSouth-
ern states.Despitesigns of im-
provement, she added, thesitua-
tionisdeterioratingelsewhere.
“Sonowweseethevirus,proba-
blybecauseofvacationsandother
reasons of travel, movingupinto
Kentucky, Tennessee, southern
Ohio,Missouri,Iowa,Kansas,Ne-
braska,” she said.“And, of course,
we continue to have problems
across thecoast—Washington,
Oregon, California,Idaho and
Utah, and now increasesinColo-
rado.”
Birxcalledformandatorymea-
suresthatTrumpandmanyAmer-
icans have resisted, considering
themalarmistand an infringe-
mentontheirliberties.
“Webelieveifthegovernorsand
mayorsofeverylocalityrightnow
wouldmandate masks for their
communitiesand[if]everyAmer-
icanwould wear amaskand so-
ciallydistanceandnotcongregate
in largesettings where you can’t
socially distance or wear amask,
thatwecan reallyget control of
thisvirusanddrivedowncasesas
Arizonahasdone,”Birxsaid.
TheAssociationofAmerican
MedicalCollegesissued an omi-
nouswarning,alongwitha“road
map”ofactionsthecountrymust
taketoavoidcalamity.
“If the nationdoes notchange
itscourse—andsoon—deathsin
the United States could be well
into the multiplehundreds of
thousands,”theorganizationsaid.TheJohns Hopkins Centerfor
Health Securityreleased areport
Wednesdaywith10recommenda-
tionsforactionandanotherstark
warning.
“Unlike many countries in the
world, theUnitedStatesisnot
currentlyoncoursetogetcontrol
ofthisepidemic.It’stimetoreset,”
sixscholarswrote.
Despitethe concerns over the
risingdeathtollandeconomicim-
pact,atleast17of21statesflagged
ascoronavirus“redzones”arenot
followingallrecommendationsby
the government’scoronavirus
taskforce.
Rep.JamesE.Clyburn(D-S.C.),
thechairmanoftheHouse’sSelect
SubcommitteeontheCoronavirus
Crisis,whichwasformedtoassess
the Trump administration’s re-
sponse to the pandemic, wrote
governors of several red-zone
states urging themtoheedex-
perts’advice.
Therecent task forcereport
“recommends far stronger public
healthmeasuresthanthe Trump
Administrationhas calledfor in
public—includingrequiringface
masks,closing bars, and strictly
limiting gatherings,” Clyburn
wrote in alettertoBirx and Vice
PresidentPence.“Yetmanystates
do notappear to be following
these unpublished recommenda-
tions and are instead pursuing
policiesmore consistentwith the
administration’s contradictory
public statements downplaying
theseriousnessofthethreat.”
OhioGov. Mike DeWine(R)onThursdayasked the state’sliquor
controlcommissiontocutoffalco-
holsalesat10p.m.eachnight.Any
alcoholpurchased by that hour
wouldhavetobeconsumedby11.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers(D)
saidhis residents nowmustwear
masksinsidepublicbuildingsand
businesses. Theorder “strongly
recommends”face coverings in
othersettings.
SomeRepublicanlawmakersin
the stateopposed the order,and
court challenges to its constitu-
tionalityareexpected.Elsewhere,
someoftherestrictionsbeingim-
posedbylocaland stateauthori-
tiesareopenlyflouted.
Alabama Republican Senate
candidate TommyTubervilleis
fundraising and holding
in-person meetings in Washing-
tonthisweek,defyingordersfrom
D.C.Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D)
that visitorsfromAlabama and
othercoronavirushotspotsquar-
antinefor14daysuponarrival.
Tubervillespentatleastsomeof
histimeattheTrumpInternation-
al Hotel,accordingtoaphoto
postedtoFacebookbyRep.Bruce
Westerman (R-Ark.) showing the
twomen in the hotellobbyon
Tuesdaynight. Neitherman was
masked.
Alabama’scoronaviruscases
are surging,withmore than
25 percent of its totalcases ap-
pearing in the pasttwo weeks,
accordingtostatedata.
Rep.Louie Gohmert(R-Tex.)
defiantlywalkedthehallsofCon-
gressmasklessandwasn’tpractic-
ingsocialdistancingbeforehewas
told Wednesdayhecould not fly
withTrump on Air Force One to
Texas becausehehad tested posi-
tiveforthevirus.
Even then, he returned to the
Capitol,ignoringexpertadviceon
how to avoidspreading covid-
germs,and filmed avideoques-
tioningtheeffectivenessofmasks.
He even suggested he mayhave
caughtthediseasefromamask.
Gohmert’smask skepticism
spurred HouseSpeakerNancy
Pelosi (D-Calif.)toorder all law-
makers to wear amask while ap-
pearingonthechamberfloor.
Andearlierthisweek,theWhite
Houseconfirmednationalsecuri-
ty adviser RobertC.O’Brien had
testedpositiveforthecoronavirus
andwasworkingfromhomeafter
experiencingmildsymptoms of
the disease.Inmid-July,O’Brien
wasinParis,wherehewasphoto-
graphedwithhis counterparts in
meetingsinwhichtheysataround
atableclose to oneanotherwith-
out wearing masks. It was not
clear when he was firstinfected,
though.
[email protected]Health experts issue urgent call for change of course as U.S. economy tanks
BRYANR. SMITH/AGENCEFRANCE-PRESSE/GETTYIMAGES
Family members embraceinDallas on Thursdayfollowing adouble funeral for Lola M. Simmons-
Jonesand herdaughter Lashaye AntoinetteAllen,who bothdied because of the coronavirus.Newcoronaviruscasesand deaths in the U.S., by day
CASES DEATHS148,Total
4,465,TotalAs of 8p.m.Feb. 29 July 30 Feb. 29 July 3002,2,1,1,5001,69,010,20,30,40,50,60,70,7-day
average7-day
average