Republicans condemned Trump. Now they're seeking his help.

Just two weeks ago, House Republican leer Kevin McCarthy declared Donald Trump culpable in dely attack on U.S. Capitol. By Thursday, he was seeking his political support.

A private meeting between two men at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort signaled a remarkable turnaround in former president's stature among elected Republicans. In immediate aftermath of insurrection Trump inspired , idea that he would enjoy any sort of kingmaker role in his post-presidency seemed highly unlikely.

But following an initial wave of condemnation, Republicans appear to be warming toward Trump, fully aware that his supporters are poised to punish anyone who displays disloyalty. With that in mind, party leers are working to keep Trump in fold as y focus on retaking House and Senate in 2022.

“United and rey to win in ’22,” McCarthy tweeted after ir meeting. Both he and Trump issued statements outlining ir pledge to work toger to help Republicans win back control of House and Senate in 2022.

realignment with Trump comes as those who have crossed him continue to feel burn. Trump ally Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, spent day in Wyoming trying to take down Rep. Liz Cheney , . 3 House Republican, who voted for Trump's impeachment. Amid backlash, Senate Republicans largely me clear this week that y have intention of convicting Trump.

While Trump tries to exert influence, he's undeniably diminished.

Before he incited his supporters to storm Capitol, Trump was expected to spend his post-presidency gleefully settling scores with Republicans rivals, launching a Twitter-fueled takedown of his successor and mulling over running again for a second term. w, he is largely isolated and silenced by social media platforms as President Joe Biden attempts to dismantle his nda executive order by executive order .

He has t been seen in public since he disappeared behind well-manicured hedges at Mar-a-Lago last Wednesday, a half-hour before his presidency ended. He has spent his days consulting with aides and defense lawyers as he prepares for his historic second impeachment trial .

Things are very different w. Last time, Trump h an army of defenders that included a team of Washington lawyers, a presidential communications shop, a taxpayer-funded White House counsel’s office and stefast backing of top Republicans, including Republican National Committee.

This time, Trump is still scrambling to pull toger a legal team, with trial less than two weeks out.

“I think he’s at a significant disvant,” said criminal defense attorney Alan Dershowitz, who was part of Trump’s legal team in 2020 but is among long list of lawyers sitting this one out.

Yet even impeachment trial, once seen as an opportunity for Senate Republicans to purge Trump from party by barring him from ever running for office again, is w being used as a rallying cry to reunite party against Democrats. Inste of debating wher he is guilty of “willfully inciting violence against government of United States," Republicans have inste attacked process, arguing that it is unconstitutional to try a president who has alrey left White House.

“At a time when our country needs to come toger, Democrats in Congress are rehashing same strategy that y employed for last four years: politically motivated overreach that will only divide us furr,” Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel said in a statement that came after heated internal divisions over wher group should publicly criticize Trump for inciting riot.

In an interview, McDaniel declined to criticize five Republicans senators who voted this week to move forward with trial. But she said “it’s more important to look at 45 that said this is ridiculous."

Aside from trial, Trump has grually begun to return to public conversation, firing off press releases from political committee he created before leaving White House.

“He’s decompressing. He’s got a legal team he’s trying to organize, and he just needs to keep doing what he’s doing," said Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close congressional ally who has been helping Trump stand up a legal team after numerous firms punted.

“I think re’s an justment," said Matt Schlapp, chair of American Conservative Union and ar Trump ally.

Jason Miller, an viser to Trump, insisted that it was “too early” to discuss president’s impeachment strategy and post-presidential political operation that is expected to include former White House political director Brian Jack and Trump's former campaign manr Bill Stepien.

“We’ve h discussions about where we want to get active with regard to 2022 midterms and how we help Republicans win back Senate and House," Miller said, but Trump has yet to decide wher he will get involved in primary races to challenge Republicans who voted to impeach him.

After those members faced intense backlash from Trump supporters, Senate Republicans voted overwhelmingly Tuesday for an attempt to dismiss his second impeachment trial.

“I think that’s pretty clear that Republican voters are amantly opposed to impeachment and Republicans who vote for impeachment do so at ir own peril,” Miller said.

Despite Capitol riot, polls show Trump remains deeply popular among Republican voters — many of whom w consider mselves more closely aligned with him than party.

“It’s t Trump so much y’re trying to hug. It's Trump’s base y’re trying to hug," said Alex Conant, a Republican strategist. “I think Trump’s departure left a huge vacuum. He was one thing that united Republicans more than anything. I mean, Republican Party became Trump Party for four years. And without him leing it, re’s an obvious power vacuum, and I think you're seeing that play out w in Congress."

question is wher Trump’s influence will endure. internal divisions his team is fomenting could ultimately undermine party’s quest to retake Congress. And it’s unclear wher he can transfer his personal popularity to or candidates when he’s t on ballot. Republicans lost control of House in 2018 and gave up Senate this month despite a last-minute appeal from Trump.

Graham, who declared just this month that he's done with Trump — “All I can say is count me out. Eugh is eugh.” — has since stressed importance of keeping party toger.

“I want to make sure that Republican Party can grow and come back, and we’re going to need Trump and Trump needs us," he told reporters.

As for Republicans who vote to convict Trump, “I guess it depends on what state you’re in and what phase in your career you are,” he quipped.