A political analyst with a reputation for accuracy predicted the running mate of the former president if he obtains the nomination on the same day that Donald Trump’s main GOP rival for the 2024 presidential election announced his candidacy.

Richard Hanania believes that Trump will choose South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, who entered the race earlier this week.

He believes that selecting Scott, an African-American Republican who enjoys widespread support among conservatives, could be a crucial strategic decision.

“Trump is going to be the nominee, and I predict he picks Tim Scott as his running mate. Everyone loves an inoffensive black conservative, especially swing voters. Democrats will have to walk on eggshells in critiquing him. Trump-Scott ticket will be very tough to beat,” Hanania, president of the Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology, tweeted on Wednesday.

Trump is going to be the nominee, and I predict he picks Tim Scott as his running mate. Everyone loves an inoffensive black conservative, especially swing voters. Democrats will have to walk on eggshells in critiquing him.

Trump-Scott ticket will be very tough to beat.

— Richard Hanania (@RichardHanania) May 22, 2023

“Many conservatives have a belief that ‘Democrats are omnipotent and can do whatever they want, they create their own reality and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.’ No, they sometimes get put in tough situations. Stop treating them like god,” Hanania added.

After Scott announced his candidacy, Trump offered his best wishes for success.

“Good luck to Senator Tim Scott in entering the Republican Presidential Primary Race,” he wrote on Truth Social. “It is rapidly loading up with lots of people, and Tim is a big step up from Ron DeSanctimonious, who is totally unelectable. I got Opportunity Zones done with Tim, a big deal that has been highly successful. Good luck Tim!”

However, according to a number of earlier reports, Trump actually favors selecting a female running mate.

The website 1945 most recently reported on Trump’s rumored preferences, predicting that his choice for vice president in 2024 would “stun the world” and naming three women who were reportedly in the running: Georgia GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Arizona GOP Kari Lake, and South Dakota GOP Gov. Kristi Noem.

According to the report on Kari Lake, it states: “Lake certainly looked ascendant last fall when she was competing for Arizona’s governorship. She enjoyed Trump’s endorsement, and she enjoyed favorable coverage in conservative media. It’s not hard to understand why. Lake is a unique creature, spewing the hard right rhetoric that MAGA Nation finds so endearing while doing so with the glitz and polish of a seasoned TV reporter. She was delivering Trump’s message – but she was doing so without the spray tan and the guttural accent and the lack of eloquence. Rather, Lake delivered Trump’s message all pretty-like.”

Regarding conservative firebrand congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, the report opines:“Trump loves her and she loves Trump. And impressively, MTG seems to be pivoting into a position of more mainstream acceptance with the GOP (as demonstrated through her support of Kevin McCarthy for speaker). The version of MTG that can appeal to both MAGA and the mainstream is a concerning premise, and someone that Trump has his eye on as a prospective running mate with appeal in the newly-in-play Georgia.”

And lastly, with regards to Noem, the report speculates: “The governor of South Dakota is apparently on Trump’s shortlist. Noem said she would be shocked if Trump chose her and I think she means it; she is a long-shot pick. But she’s got a few of the things Trump guns for. One, Noem has been loyal to Trump, vowing to support the former president through the 2024 campaign. And Trump values loyalty above seemingly all else.”

According to Trump insiders who spoke with The Daily Caller, the 45th president is likely to choose a vice presidential candidate who is “loyal,” “charismatic,” and “ideologically aligned” with him.

“No candidates have publicly announced their intent to be Trump’s VP, but the former president has indicated that ‘a lot of people’ are ‘auditioning’ behind the scenes,” the Daily Caller reported.