I have thought this from eight months ago. This was all kabuki theater.
Been a while now and my memory is fading but it seems that a similar operation took place with Reagan and daddy Bush...Reagan and Bush were polar opposites on the campaign trail and I believed then and now that Reagan got conned into believing that he needed Bush to win the Carter race and very reluctantly picked Bush as his running mate...
Reagan picked Bush to appease the GOPe and prevent them from doing what they have been trying to do to Trump. Trump may or may not feel like giving the GOPe a peace offering.