Former GOP presidential hopeful Herman Cain, back on the political stump again, called U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren a “devout socialist” and urged Massachusetts voters to elect one of her GOP opponents.
“I know it’s a long shot, but long shots don’t scare me,” Cain said on Boston Herald Radio’s “Battenfeld” show.
Cain, a radio talk show host and head of a new pro-Trump super PAC, was in Massachusetts to appear at a fundraiser for state Rep. Geoff Diehl, one of three Republican candidates looking to topple Warren.
“This is a state where Elizabeth Warren should be defeated,” he said. “She is misrepresenting the people of the country and she is misrepresenting the people of Massachusetts. Many of her statements suggest that she is a devout socialist. She’s not a Democrat, she’s a socialist.”
And Cain blasted Warren for her recent remarks painting the U.S. criminal justice system as “racist … front to back,” saying she “pandered” to a largely black audience at Dillard University in New Orleans.
“That is an outrageous, untrue statement,” Cain said.
Cain first burst into national prominence in 2011 when he entered the field for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. A businessman best known for his leadership of Godfather’s Pizza, Cain had no elective experience when he jumped into the race.
Cain gained traction briefly for his debate performances where he touted his “9-9-9” tax plan, but his campaign imploded after he was accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate touching by several women. He withdrew from the race in late 2011.
Cain said he largely stays out of endorsing candidates now, but he is a friend of Diehl’s and believes he is “results-oriented” for the people of Massachusetts.
Diehl was co-chairman of President Trump’s 2016 campaign in Massachusetts. Asked about Trump’s unpopularity here in Massachusetts, Cain said he believes the mainstream media has turned people against Trump with constant negative coverage.
“Many of the liberal media here, they’re telling them that he’s unpopular,” he said.
Cain said he thinks Trump is “doing a great job” even though he’s “uncomfortable” with some of his tweeting.
“I don’t get caught up in the alleged allegations, the investigations and all of that,” he said. “It’s a distraction. …”
Cain said he doesn’t plan on running for president again but will stay active politically through his new super PAC, America Fighting Back.