He didn’t know he was being recorded. You’re not being realistic.
That makes it even more effective an attack on him personally. I may not be realistic that Donald Trump would have the ability to hand the baton to Mike Pence but I think he is a very astute man and knows the political realities by now. I'm not certain it would work but the Clinton campaign and the MSM would have not line of attack against Mike Pence championing Trump's ideas. Their strategy of personal attack would evaporate. Pence would hold all the GOP base. If he could keep the Trump supporters, we could win a close election. It almost makes ?Trump's choice of Pence prescient, knowing what might come in the campaign and allowing for contingencies according to the effectiveness of the attacks.