CNN analyst Joe Lockhart said Saturday that former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain had died “making a political statement.”
Lockhart joined anchor Ana Cabrera on “CNN Newsroom” and he drew a direct line from Cain’s attendance at President Donald Trump’s Tulsa rally and his death last week. (RELATED: Former Presidential Candidate And Businessman Herman Cain Dead At 74)
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Cabrera began by mentioning Republican Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert, who tested positive for coronavirus earlier in the week, noting that he had been vocally opposed to wearing a mask.
“Numerous go without a mask to selfishly make a statement at the expense of their colleagues and families. What will it take to make them take it seriously?” Cabrera asked.
Lockhart claimed that they were more focused on catering to their base than promoting health and safety, arguing that President Donald Trump and a number of Republicans in leadership had turned masks into a political issue.
“And that’s had the effect of, you know, we have Herman Cain who’s passed away, and that’s a tragedy for his family, but he was making a political statement by going to that Tulsa rally, not social distancing and not wearing a mask,” Lockhart continued.
Lockhart went on to claim that Trump and other Republicans had put over a third of the country at risk. “People will really remember the fact that Trump and a lot of the leading Republicans, not all, but a lot of them, really put maybe 30% to 40% of the country at risk, or even at more risk, to make a political point.”