President Donald Trump mourned the death of Herman Cain, a 2012 Republican presidential hopeful who died on Thursday after contracting the coronavirus, and hailed him as a “powerful voice of freedom.”

“My friend Herman Cain, a Powerful Voice of Freedom and all that is good, passed away this morning. Herman had an incredible career and was adored by everyone that ever met him, especially me,” Trump said in a tweet on Thursday afternoon.

He added, “He was a very special man, an American Patriot, and great friend. I just got off 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!”

A statement on Cain’s website announced his death on Thursday morning. It read, “We’re heartbroken, and the world is poorer: Herman Cain has gone to be with the Lord.”

On Monday, a tweet from Cain’s Twitter account said that he was “still in the hospital being treated with oxygen for his lungs.” However, the tweet added that “doctors say his other organs and systems are strong.”

“Re-strengthening the lungs is a long and slow process, and the doctors want to be thorough about it,” the tweet said.

A separate tweet said that Cain’s condition was improving, “He really is getting better.”

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Cain’s death comes roughly a month after he was hospitalized due after he contracted the coronavirus. On July 2, Cain’s Twitter account announced that he had been hospitalized after he contracted the virus, as IJR reported.

A statement shared in a tweet read, “On Monday, June 29, Herman Cain was informed that he had tested positive for COVID-19. By Wednesday, July 1, Mr. Cain had developed symptoms serious enough that he required hospitalization.”

“He spent part of last night in the hospital, and as of today, Thursday, July 2, he is resting comfortably in an Atlanta-area hospital. Mr. Cain did not require a respirator, he is awake and alert,” it continued.

“With God’s help, we are confident he will make a quick and complete recovery,” the statement added.