Cain Nomination Appears Doomed

Herman Cain now appears highly unlikely to be raised to the Federal Reserve's board of governors. Administration officials say the former Godfather's Pizza CEO is still President Trump's preferred candidate, but four Republican senators have now spoken out against the potential nomination, the Washington Post reports. With the GOP holding 53 seats in the chamber, the only way Cain could be approved now is if Democrats decide to support him. Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota became the fourth GOP senator to oppose Cain on Thursday, joining Sens. Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski, and Cory Gardner. Cramer told reporters there was "no way" he could vote for Cain, citing the sexual harassment allegations that doomed the businessman's 2012 presidential campaign.

“It's hard for me to get over the harassment allegations from the past," Cramer said, per the Hill. "His showmanship doesn't bother me. His business experience, I think, is great. Simplifying the tax code is fine by me. But character still does matter." Trump said Wednesday that he still supports Cain, though he admitted that he might not make it through the nomination process. "As to how he's doing in the process, that I don't know," the president said. "You go through a process. But Herman is a great guy, and I hope he does well." Cain is currently being vetted by the FBI, but it's not clear whether the White House still plans to formally submit Cain's nomination. (Problems with Trump's other Fed pick include a large unpaid tax bill.)