I am not saying that this was a subterfuge that was promulgated by campaign to deflect the press, I am saying that this was a subterfuge that was promulgated on Trump to keep Jabba the Governor off the ticket:

Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, reportedly bamboozled his boss into switching his vice presidential pick from embattled New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) to Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) by staging an airplane malfunction.

In July, The New York Times reported that Trump and Pence “impromptu dinner” after the GOP candidate’s plane was grounded by “mechanical problems.”

“And at some point during the evening, Mr. Trump asked Mr. Pence if he would say yes, were Mr. Trump to offer him the No. 2 slot,” according to the Times.

But a Sunday report in the New York Post revealed that Manafort took the dramatic step of lying to Trump about mechanical problems with the plane after his boss tentatively selected Christie for the V.P. slot.

“Trump had wanted Christie but Bridgegate would have been the biggest national story,” Trump source told the Post. “He’d lose the advantage of not being corrupt.”

(emphasis mine)

Seriously, Manafort f%$#ing gaslighted the candidate over his selection of a running mate.

We are truly on terra incognita here.

There are plenty of things **cough** dirty tricks **cough** that the campaign keeps from the candidate for plausibility deniability, but manipulating the candidate into selecting your choice of VP by stranding him with your choice like some sort of twisted 30s romantic comedy??

What the actual f%$#?