Cain to make ‘major announcement’

BRIAN WILLIAMS, anchor: Tonight there are strong indications, as we turn to politics, that Herman Cain will tell supporters tomorrow he is getting out of the race for president. We are following this story on two fronts tonight. We'll start with NBC 's Andrea Mitchell in our Washington newsroom. Andrea , good evening.

ANDREA MITCHELL reporting: Good evening, Brian . In an unpredictable campaign like this one, no decision is final until Herman Cain delivers it, but a source close to Cain says that he has made up his mind to quit in order to protect his family from more fallout from the allegations that he's facing. Herman Cain home in Atlanta tonight, perhaps for the last time with all the trappings of a presidential candidate. Earlier today Cain was still campaigning in South Carolina .

Mr. HERMAN CAIN: Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you.

MITCHELL: He said he'd clarify his next steps tomorrow.

Mr. CAIN: I am reassessing because of all of this media firestorm stuff. Why? Because my wife and family comes first.

MITCHELL: But today New Hampshire 's influential Union Leader headlined that Cain didn't tell his wife about his longtime friendship with Atlanta businesswoman Ginger White .

Mr. CAIN: My wife did not know about it and that was the revelation and the surprise that my wife found about -- found out about it when she went public with it.

MITCHELL: In its editorial today, captioned "Charisma isn't enough," the Union Leader slammed Cain for his handling of the scandal and said he isn't ready to be president. Cain also speculated that White was paid to talk. But on MSNBC last night, she told Lawrence O'Donnell no one offered her anything. She said she came forward reluctantly in response to leaks.

Mr. LAWRENCE O'DONNELL: Did Herman Cain tell you he loved you?

Ms. GINGER WHITE (Alleges 13-Year Affair with Herman Cain): It wasn't a love affair. It was a sexual affair. As hard as that is for me to say and as hard as it is for people to hear it, you know, it pretty much is what it is. And that's what it was.

MITCHELL: The controversy has further torpedoed Cain 's standing in Iowa . A new Des Moines Register poll shows Cain is now down to 8 percent among likely Republican caucus goers, a drop from 23 percent only a month ago. Still, even today, Cain supporters launched new ads in Iowa , including this unusual pitch.

Offscreen Voice: It's time for the truth. The media won't tell you one of the foremost lie detector experts in America said about Herman Cain .

MITCHELL: And the campaign announced a new online support group called Women for Cain , the the national chairperson, his wife, Gloria . Cain has already canceled a high profile Sunday night private dinner party in New York with big media stars, and tonight he is facing his wife, Gloria , for the first time since this latest scandal became public. Brian :

WILLIAMS: Andrea Mitchell in our Washington newsroom. Andrea , thanks. And on