Is Tim Scott the First Felon’s choice of running mate?

Is it Tim Scott then that Donald Trump will pick for his running mate?

The First Felon mentioned the Republican senator from South Carolina in the June 27 TV debate with President Joe Biden. Yes, that debate, the one that has prompted oodles of concern about Mr Biden’s weakness in seeking re-election. Not because he’s a bad president but just too old a candidate to convey energy and vigour. (I watched the whole debate, dear Reader, staying up until 4 in the morning, UK time, so that you didn’t have to.)

Anyway, concern about Mr Biden appears to have overshadowed Mr Trump’s remarks. For instance, the First Felon’s mention of Tim Scott. (First Felon because he’s America’s first convicted felon who served as president and is running to get that same job back.)

Mr Trump even spoke of the senator in complimentary terms, noting that he was pursuing a remarkable plan for outreach to Black voters.

Now, the First Felon is not known for his generosity – of spirit or cheery words. One has to wonder what drove this particular outburst – this sudden charitable desire to acknowledge the work or ideas of someone else.

Might it be the First Felon’s way of signalling that Tim Scott will be his pick for vice-president? And that it will fall to Mr Scott to help Mr Trump court Black voters, especially in states like Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Earlier this month, Mr Scott was quoted by America’s National Public Radio (NPR): “If the Black voters do two things, some stay home and some come to the right there is no way to fill that hole. So the coalition that is necessary for the Democrats to have success, period, it’s not just Black and Hispanic. It’s specifically Black in the battleground states where they have to be successful”.

Interestingly, NPR also quoted a former pollster for Barack Obama. Cornell Belcher said that while Black voters would probably not head over to Mr Trump in droves, some might not show up and that would be bad for Mr Biden: “I’m more concerned about African American voters sitting at home or breaking third party. Because that becomes 2016 again, right? How does Trump win? He doesn’t win by addition. He wins by subtraction”.