Herman Cain Claims He Turned Down the Fed Job Because It Was Depressingly Low Rent

When President Donald Trump announced on Monday that former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain had taken himself out of the running to sit on the Board of Governors for the Federal Reserve, many assumed that had something to do with the fact that Cain had effectively no chance of getting through the nomination process.

According to Cain, however, his withdrawal had nothing to do with dwindling GOP support, nor the credible allegations of sexual harassment fueling much of the discomfort with his nomination in the first place (Cain admitted in 2011 that he had, in fact, settled a sexual harassment claim). Instead, Cain insisted, he simply had a much more important priority: making that sweet, sweet money.

“It’s an honor, it’s prestigious, and I really wanted to do it, emotionally,” Cain told the Wall Street Journal on Monday, shortly after he’d notified the president of his decision to take his name out of the running. “But factually, it is a big cut in pay.”

Sure he’d love this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help guide America’s monetary policy, but that six-figure Federal Reserve paycheck? Noooooo thank you.

“My biggest passion is making money,” Cain added, as if it wasn’t abundantly clear that—despite his ill-fated run for the Oval Office in 2012 (net worth at the time: somewhere between $2-6 million)—public service really isn’t his thing.

According to the Journal, Cain’s stated aversion to not having quite as much cash as he has now comes just one week after he told the paper that “there comes a time in your life where making more money…isn’t as important as making an impact.”

Clearly, he hasn’t reached that time in his life, yet. Oh well!