What makes you think Trump isn’t directing him?
I don’t see any kind of sympatico between Trump & Carson with the idea of Carson being a possible VP. None, zero. Of all the things Trump is, he is a very shrewd judge of character and talent and it’s just miles outside my imagination that Carson would be a desirable choice >>as VP<<. He knows nothing about Wash DC politics, he has no otherwise political experience other than generic management experience he might have gained working in hospital admin, he brings no constituency...so why Trump would pick him for that particular office makes no sense, to me. If he’s there to be a milquetoast opposite a brash Trump, Trump needs nobody to do that.
If I am wrong, then Carson is hinting at this stuff on Trumps’ direction as you suggest, but I really do not think that staging this kind of guessing game is a cred builder. If I am right, then he is blowing his credibility by releasing this info or showing himself to be vulnerable to being manipulated by Trump which is likewise a cred-eroding stance.
I think Carson is acting like a Trump groupie and he’s not doing that good a job of it. He’s enticed by this political stuff but is otherwise quite amateur at it. That’s my opinion.