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President Donald Trump tweeted in the afternoon that he spoke with Cain's wife, Gloria, and their two children, Melanie and Vincent, and expressed his condolences.

\"He was a very special man, an American Patriot, and great friend,\" Trump tweeted.

...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! pic.twitter.com/GNUf5jHjX0

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020

At his coronavirus briefing Thursday afternoon, Trump added, \"Let me begin by expressing our sadness at the passing of a wonderful man and a dear friend of mine, Herman Cain. He was a very special person and I got to know him very well. Unfortunately he passed away from the thing called the China virus.\"

Cain was born in 1945 in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Atlanta by two working-class parents. He graduated from Morehouse College in 1967 with a bachelor's degree in mathematics and earned a master's degree in computer science from Purdue University four years later.

During his studies, he served as a mathematician at the U.S. Department of the Navy.

David A. Thomas, the president of Morehouse College, offered his condolences, saying, \"He was a philanthropist, a successful business executive, a political activist, a media personality, a caring father, and a son of Morehouse who graduated in 1967. Our hearts and prayers are with the Cain family.\"

Cain entered the corporate world and climbed the professional ladder at several companies including Coca-Cola, Pillsbury and Burger King. In 1986, he was appointed the CEO of Godfather Pizza and quickly turned the failing chain into a profitable business.

\"PHOTO:
John Sommers II/Reuters, FILE
PHOTO: In this Nov. 30, 2011, file photo, Republican presidential contender Herman Cain addresses campaign supporters during a campaign stop in Cincinnati, Ohio.
>

In 1993, Cain rose to the political spotlight during a town hall meeting with President Bill Clinton over health care. He argued with the president over a health care mandate, contending it would cost jobs and hurt businesses.

\"Mr. President, with all due respect, your calculation on what the impact would do, quite honestly, is incorrect,\" he said.

Cain left the Godfather Pizza in 1996 and became the president and, later, CEO of the National Restaurant Association, where he lobbied with congressional lawmakers. He served as an economic adviser during the 1996 Bob Dole presidential campaign and remained close with Republicans.

Cain launched two unsuccessful presidential runs in 2000 and 2004. In 2006, he was diagnosed with stage IV liver and colon cancer, but he said in 2007 he was cancer-free.

In 2012, he made another attempt at the White House and gained momentum among potential GOP voters.

A Quinnipiac University poll released at the end of October 2011 had him leading the GOP candidates by seven points. It was around this time that several women came forward with sexual harassment allegations that dated back to the '90s. While Cain denied all of the allegations, his poll numbers slipped and he suspended his campaign that December.

\"PHOTO:
Molly Riley/AP, FILE
PHOTO: In this June 20, 2014, file photo, Herman Cain speaks during Faith and Freedom Coalition's Road to Majority event in Washington.
>

He remained an active figure in GOP politics following his campaign and served as a pundit on Fox News and other programs. Last year, Trump said he was considering Cain for a seat on the Federal Reserve, but Cain withdrew.

A co-chair of Black Voices for Trump, Cain became an outspoken advocate for the Republican Party and Trump in recent years.

Cain is survived by his wife, who he married in 1968, two children and several grandchildren.

ABC News' Beatrice Peterson and John Santucci contributed to this report.

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