After weeks of focusing on a group of current and former elected officials in his search for a running mate, Donald Trump is increasingly intrigued by the idea of tapping retired Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn in order to project strength and know-how on national security, according to four people familiar with the vetting process.

Flynn, 57, a registered Democrat but fierce critic of President Obama, previously ran the Defense Intelligence Agency…

In Flynn, they added, Trump believes he would have a partner whom he trusts, based on their close working relationship over the course of the campaign on policy. And he likes the image of a businessman and a general coming to Washington as outsiders.

The shift in how Trump is evaluating his short list is driven by his growing sense that he does not necessarily want or need a running mate who will satisfy Republican insiders, in spite of long saying that he would likely go in that direction. Instead, and after some testy exchanges with GOP lawmakers during his visit to Capitol Hill on Thursday, Trump is more open than ever to going with a non-politician.