A new book alleges that staff members from Donald Trump’s 2020 election campaign felt extreme guilt following the death of former GOP Presidential hopeful Herman Cain. At least one staffer believes that the re-election campaign was responsible for Cain’s death due to COVID-19.
The report comes as fanfare for the release of a new book: Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show by ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl. In an excerpt of the book published by Vanity Fair, Karl recalls the gnarly days of the pandemic in June 2020, when Trump insisted on holding a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma–with Cain in tow–over the objections of health experts.
Karl writes that “the Tulsa rally would end up being a political disaster and, for Trump, the worst day of his entire campaign.”
Related: Herman Cain tweets from beyond the grave (again) and this time he’s questioning his own death
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The day of the rally eight Trump staffers tested positive for COVID-19.
“According to two senior campaign officials, after the eighth person tested positive, two of them with the Secret Service, word came down from the campaign leadership: STOP TESTING,” Karl writes. This directive came after NBC News broke the story that six members of the campaign staff who had traveled to Tulsa to set up the rally had tested positive, a report that actually understated the number of infected staffers. The headlines were embarrassing. As Trump flew to Tulsa aboard Air Force One, he watched the news coverage on television. It was all bad—television reporters talking about the positive COVID tests, the massive security, and, worst of all, the lack of a crowd.”
Karl further reports that Trump “dismissed the warnings of public health professionals, downplayed the danger, believed he could talk his way out of it all, and showed a total disregard for the consequences of his actions.”
Here’s just a few of the #BlackVoicesForTrump at tonight’s rally! Having a fantastic time!#TulsaRally2020 #Trumptulsa #TulsaTrumprally #MAGA #Trump2020 #Trump2020Landslide pic.twitter.com/27mUzkg7kL
— The Cain Gang (@THEHermanCain) June 20, 2020
In another blow to Trump’s ego, few supporters turned up for the rally, despite over 1 million requests for tickets. Political analysts later attributed the turnout disparity to users on TikTok who wanted to “troll” trump. Only about 6,000 people showed up. Other commentators also blamed the sudden spike in COVID-19 cases in the area, as well as a lack of mask requirements and social distancing at the rally.
Nevertheless, the rally went ahead on June 20, and featured Herman Cain in attendance. Cain later uploaded a picture of himself–sans mask–to Twitter.
Following the rally, COVID cases tripled in Tulsa. Herman Cain also contracted the virus at the rally, and died a month later of complications on July 30.
According to Karl, Trump’s staff felt responsible for Cain’s death.
“The news devastated Trump campaign staff,” Karl writes. “Many felt like they were to blame for his death. ‘We killed Herman Cain,’ one senior staffer told [ABC News reporter Will Steakin] not long after Cain’s death.”
Karl further reports that at least one staffer was also hospitalized with COVID following the rally. Trump, meanwhile, only seemed to care about the low turnout for the rally.
Betrayal: The Final Act of the Trump Show goes on sale November 16.
Mister P
Cain was a big boy who knew the risks and didn’t wear a mask.
Jer
If the Tulsa crowd had filled the auditorium, it would have been a triumph for Trump.
And if they had every one died the next day, that wouldn’t have mattered to him.
Wayne_in_NYC
I’m surprised he didn’t have an area set aside to have attendees vote on absentee ballots before the rally just in case they died after attending so that he wouldn’t lose their votes, even if they didn’t survive!
muggie01
Wayne_in_NYC He’s gonna kick himself for not thinking of that one.
Kangol2
Herman “999” Cain got Covidrumpfed, just like 600,000 Americans!
jayceecook
Cain was an adult who knew the facts and chose to ignore them. This was something that most likely could have been prevented if he had not made the choice to attend in the manner he did. Did that mean he should die? No. But people shouldn’t feel guilty for a decision another person made.
Den
They most definitely should feel guilty for all the lies they told and all the ways in which they encouraged the spread of the virus. Yes, Cain was an adult and made his own stupid choices, But the Trump Campaign and Trump himself worked hard to make those stupid choices seem reasonable, and even preferable. We must not forget that, and need to repeat it.
In a pandemic, actively working against the best public health guidelines is antisocial and/or stupid at best, sociopathic at worst. And much of Trump’s pack was one, both or all three of those things.
Fahd
Didn’t Trump say to a war widow’s wife, “Well, I guess he [the soldier killed in action] knew what he was getting into”?
Trump shouldn’t have held the rally. It was irresponsible.
More evidence that associating with Trump was and is bad for one’s reputation and health, in fact it could kill you.
WillParkinson
Are they looking for a ‘thank you’ card or something?
barryaksarben
I am constantly amazed at how many people dont believe in science. Most of them including Cain (good riddance) have had the polio vaccine which was NOT proven to the level the covid vaccine has been. I feel as adults they can make their choice and if they want to make it about politics or anything else than what it is (again science) then they are more than welcome to do so. If they are too stupid to chose to own the libs over their actual lives they are free to make that boneheaded decision but to try to make it for others is UNAMERICAN. you dont want to wear a mask isnt a choice if you care about others and believe in science it is a precaution. If you think of it as a us versus them or a political statement or that your high school level of understanding you will chose not to wear one but you are endangering others which is beyond selfish and UN AMERICAN again. NO excuses we see you and you are ignorant or selfish or mentally ill. THAT IS IT