Analysis: What does the VP rollout tell us about Trump?
Trump introduced Pence as his No. 2 on Saturday, passing over candidates with whom he has a more personal connection in favor of an experienced politician with solid conservative credentials.
GOP leaders — many lukewarm at best about the outsider at the top of their ticket — were nearly unanimous in praise.
The campaign was making plans for a splashy Friday announcement aimed at dominating the weekend news cycle heading into the Republican convention.
A voracious consumer of news, Trump fumed as he watched television reports declaring he had settled on Pence before he'd made a call to the governor.
Two Republicans with knowledge of the process said he felt boxed in by advisers and other Republicans who preferred Pence over the two other finalists, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
[...] Trump's own actions — saying he'd not made a final decision even after Pence was summoned to New York, then delaying the announcement — left the distinct impression of doubt.
[...] too, did the actual announcement event on Saturday, at which Trump meandered for nearly a half hour on a variety of topics — including an update on the construction of his new hotel in Washington — before finally calling Pence to the stage, only to then immediately walk away.
In 2013, President Barack Obama was on the brink of launching airstrikes against Syria for using chemical weapons against civilians, something he'd said crossed a "red line."