In fact, most of the would-be surrogates have been too busy rebuking Mr. Trump for his post-Orlando dalliance with conspiracy theories and his attacks on a federal judge he deemed to be biased against him to take part in a strategy session.

Even being Trump surrogates probably causes them enough concern. They’re probably worried that the swing voters they are counting on to return them to the House or Senate will be turned off by a candidate at the top of the ticket who disparages women, mocks disabled people and pokes fun at prisoners of war for getting captured in the first place. It counts as progress at this point that party leaders have not had any reason to condemn a Trump statement for at least seven days.

For his part, Mr. Trump is waiting for respect. He believes he deserves the party’s admiration for his political achievements, his success as a businessman and his potential to transform and broaden the party’s appeal. He is brand new at the business of politics, and he vanquished the aspirations of 16 accomplished rivals in less time than it took Hillary Clinton to shake off Bernie Sanders. Mr. Trump is waiting for party leaders to stop reprimanding him for his lean (that is, skeletal) campaign operation, his politically incorrect statements and his inconsistent positions. You can almost see him in his office in Trump Tower turning to Chris Christie, whom he’s come to rely on at moments of crisis, and saying: “Chris, what gives with these hand-wringers? Don’t they want to win?”

He also seems to be waiting for the news media to realize that the joke is on them. He manipulates many in the media, stroking their egos by offering enormous access, long phone calls to reporters and frequent appearances on his favorite television programs. While it annoys Mr. Trump to be criticized, he understands what Sarah Palin understood — his supporters are rooting for him, not the talking heads on TV. So when pundits count him down or out, his fans defend their guy against the arrogant members of the “rigged” media, whom Mr. Trump lovingly describes as “among the most dishonest I have ever met.”

Those in Mr. Trump’s inner circle are waiting for the political conversation to turn to events that they believe will determine the outcome of the election: the vice-presidential pick, the conventions and the debates. Governor Christie, who has been given the vital behind-the-scenes assignment of head of the presidential transition, points out that even a politically weakened Mr. Trump still bests his Democratic opponent in a recent poll on questions about trustworthiness, fixing Washington and fighting terrorism.

To that end, his advisers are waiting for their candidate to recognize that learning just a few more things about national security and counterterrorism might reverse his June nose-dive. Even polls in battleground states taken during what has been Mr. Trump’s worst month in his bid for president show that he’s neck-and-neck with Mrs. Clinton on questions about who can better protect the country. Those advisers must be waiting for the night when Mr. Trump goes to bed with a copy of “The Looming Tower” instead of his iPhone and Twitter feed.

As I recall all too well from my dating days, waiting for a man to change is a fool’s errand, but in the case of Mr. Trump, it may be the fools’ only choice.