A growing number of Senate Republicans are warning they will oppose Herman Cain for the Federal Reserve Board, leaving President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE with no room for error if he moves forward with the nomination.

Three GOP senators have told reporters they would not support Cain if Trump formally sends the nomination to the Senate: Lisa Murkowski Lisa Ann MurkowskiSenate GOP aims to confirm Trump court pick by Oct. 29: report Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot Pence defends Trump's 'obligation' to nominate new Supreme Court justice MORE (Alaska), Cory Gardner Cory Scott GardnerOvernight Health Care: US coronavirus deaths hit 200,000 | Ginsburg's death puts future of ObamaCare at risk | Federal panel delays vote on initial COVID-19 vaccine distribution The Hill's Campaign Report: GOP set to ask SCOTUS to limit mail-in voting Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot MORE (Colo.) and Mitt Romney Willard (Mitt) Mitt RomneySenate GOP aims to confirm Trump court pick by Oct. 29: report The Hill's Campaign Report: GOP set to ask SCOTUS to limit mail-in voting Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot MORE (Utah).

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Romney told reporters he could not support naming Cain to the central bank, while a spokeswoman for Murkowski confirmed to The Hill that the moderate GOP senator would oppose his nomination.

"Senator Murkowski said that she would not support his nomination," a spokeswoman said when asked about Cain.

Gardner, a senator running for reelection in a state won in 2016 by Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonButtigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot Poll: 51 percent of voters want to abolish the electoral college MORE, also told CNN he would oppose Cain.

"It's not about his past. It's about who I think should be on the board," Gardner said. "So that's that."

Spokesmen for Gardner didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from The Hill.

If all three Republican senators voted no on his nomination, Cain would have to run the board with the rest of the Republican caucus or flip a Democratic senator to be confirmed.

With a 53-seat majority, Republicans could afford to lose only three GOP senators and still confirm one of Trump's nominees on their own by letting Vice President Pence break a tie.

But several other senators have expressed concerns about Cain, including that his background could be out of sync with the independence of the Federal Reserve Board.

Asked about Cain this week, Sen. John Cornyn John CornynThe Hill's Campaign Report: GOP set to ask SCOTUS to limit mail-in voting Liberal super PAC launches ads targeting vulnerable GOP senators over SCOTUS fight Senate GOP faces pivotal moment on pick for Supreme Court MORE (R-Texas), a member of GOP leadership, warned that the Fed board needs to remain independent from politics.

"I think the Fed should be independent. It’s my understanding that he’s served on some of the regional Fed boards. ... I’m not really familiar with his experience there or how he’s conducted himself. I think it important to keep the Federal Reserve — to maintain its independence from politics," Cornyn said.

Sens. Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzTrump argues full Supreme Court needed to settle potential election disputes Press: Notorious RBG vs Notorious GOP The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Washington on edge amid SCOTUS vacancy MORE (R-Texas) and John Kennedy John Neely KennedyMORE (R-La.) demurred when asked if they would support Cain if he's nominated.

"I like and respect Herman. I'll certainly consider the nomination on the merits," Cruz said.

Kennedy added that he wanted to see the FBI report from a background investigation on Cain before he made a decision but warned that he didn't want to see the Federal Reserve Board be "politicized."

"I will vote against a nominee that I think has been sent there with a closed mind just to vote in a particular way without considering all the evidence," Kennedy said.

GOP Sen. Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsSenate GOP aims to confirm Trump court pick by Oct. 29: report The Hill's Campaign Report: GOP set to ask SCOTUS to limit mail-in voting Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot MORE (Maine), who has opposed other high-profile Trump nominees, said she hadn't focused on Cain's potential nomination but expected that if he's nominated the sexual harassment allegations that derailed his 2012 presidential campaign would be "thoroughly explored." Cain denied wrongdoing.

Any one of those GOP senators coming out in opposition to a Cain nomination would be enough to guarantee that he could not be confirmed by the Senate without help from Democrats. No Democratic senator has said they will support Cain if he is nominated.

The growing signs of opposition to Cain within the caucus come even as Trump and top administration officials are going to bat for the former presidential candidate.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin Steven Terner MnuchinOn The Money: Powell, Mnuchin stress limits of emergency loans | House seeks to salvage vote on spending bill | Economists tell lawmakers: Kill the virus to heal the economy Economists spanning spectrum say recovery depends on containing virus Powell, Mnuchin stress limits of current emergency lending programs MORE told CNBC on Wednesday that he believed Cain should be confirmed to the Federal Reserve Board.

"I don't know Cain very well, but I have every reason to believe the president supports him and feels strongly, so, yes, I would think he should be confirmed," Mnuchin said.

Trump also praised Cain as he departed the White House earlier Wednesday, saying he is a "wonderful man" and has "been a supporter of mine for a long time."

"He's already sat on one the Fed boards, and he's just somebody I like a lot," Trump added. "As to how he's doing in the process, that I don’t know. You go through a process. But Herman is a great guy, and I hope he does well."