Mr Pence, a Hill-wise former Indiana congressman who is typically a palliative presence in an administration of piranhas, had been keeping tabs on conservatives, counseling the president not to take anything for granted, and he urged Mr. Trump to take a hard line against his ideological allies who were pushing for a far more radical rewrite of the Affordable Care Act.
During the course of the last two trying weeks, as less-experienced advisers floundered — and others skipped town — Mr. Pence emerged as an effective, if not ultimately successful, wingman for a president short on competent help.