Trump forced to pull nomination of sexual predator he calls a 'friend'

Trump has pulled the Federal Reserve Board nomination of sexual predator Herman Cain after Democrats and even a few Republicans opposed the decision.

“My friend Herman Cain, a truly wonderful man, has asked me not to nominate him for a seat on the Federal Reserve Board. I will respect his wishes,” Trump announced on Twitter Monday. “Herman is a great American who truly loves our Country!”

Trump made no mention of the many scandals, including multiple allegations of sexual harassment, from Cain’s past that have led even Republicans in the Senate to suggest Trump should pick someone else.

Cain settled several sexual harassment claims from women who worked with him at the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s.

One woman at the association, Sharon Bialek, said Cain groped her at a 1997 dinner.

“He said, ‘You want a job, right?” Bialek revealed. Then he reached under her skirt, “toward my genitals,” and pushed her head toward his crotch.

When details of the claims and assault emerged in 2012, it effectively ended Cain’s presidential campaign. But Trump, an admitted sexual predator himself, clearly saw no problem in selecting Cain for the Federal Reserve.

From the moment Trump made the strange pick, Democrats expressed open skepticism that someone with his background should be in such a powerful position.

A few Republicans followed the Democratic lead and it became clear that the nomination faced an uphill battle. Notably, Republicans openly complained about the political nature of Cain’s nomination and the concern that someone who had founded a pro-Trump group would overly politicize the role — not Cain’s history of sexual misconduct.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell engaged in a behind-the-scenes campaign to pressure Trump to pull the nomination, rather than directly calling out Trump for promoting a predator.

Unified Democratic opposition put Trump in a position where he needed nearly every Republican to back the nomination. But Republicans apparently weren’t willing to die on this particular hill to install such a poor choice at the Federal Reserve, and Trump had to cave to opposition. Again.

Now Cain’s nomination is dead, but Trump has once again demonstrated his affection for a man credibly accused of sexual misconduct.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.