(Bloomberg) -- Five months after a single scathing social media post from Donald Trump scuttled Tom Emmer’s hopes of becoming House speaker, the former president praised him at a Mar-a-Lago fundraiser that earned the Minnesota congressman more than $300,000.

The rapid turnabout comes as treacherous party divisions over Ukraine threaten to sink House Speaker Mike Johnson, and both Emmer and Trump stand to gain from their strengthened ties. Emmer is now better positioned to get Trump’s backing if Johnson is overthrown, and Trump would have a congressional leader who owed him his loyalty.

Emmer didn’t waste any time after the speaker debacle. He spent months currying Trump’s favor with an early endorsement in the presidential campaign, praise on cable television and weekly phone calls and text messages, according to people briefed on their interactions. 

The 63-year-old congressman regularly flattered Trump, at one point telling him he could win Minnesota, one person said. No Republican presidential nominee has won the state since Richard Nixon’s 49-state landslide in 1972. 

Trump named Emmer state chair for his Minnesota campaign. 

There’s no sign Emmer, a gruff former college hockey player whose job as the party’s top vote-counter has helped him build relationships that span the GOP’s divergent camps, is preparing to make a move against Johnson. 

Emmer’s spokeswoman, Casey Nelson, declined to say whether Emmer, currently the third-ranking party leader, retains an ambition for the speakership. She said he’s “focused on supporting House Republicans and winning in November.” 

Taylor Haulsee, Johnson’s spokesperson, said both the speaker and Emmer are “focused solely on advancing our conservative principles” and the speaker is “fully appreciative of the vital role” Emmer plays. A Trump representative didn’t respond to a request for comment. 

But Emmer’s increasing closeness to Trump coincides with talk swirling in House GOP circles that even if Johnson can hold onto his job until the November election, the speaker will have a hard time being elected again as leader.

Hardline Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia took the first procedural step toward ousting Johnson last month after he compromised with Democrats to avoid a US shutdown. It isn’t clear whether she will force a vote on removing him or whether other Republicans would join her, but she’s threatened to press forward if Johnson allows the House to vote on Ukraine aid.

Johnson is acting guarded with Emmer, said multiple Republican officials familiar with party leadership deliberations. The speaker is reluctant to bring Emmer along on some of his legislative plans and strategy — or even listen to Emmer’s advice —- though it remains Emmer’s official duty to advise the speaker on sentiment among Republican lawmakers, the officials said.

Johnson pressed ahead in February with an initial vote to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, despite Emmer warning that it would fail that day, multiple Republican officials said. That led to an embarrassing tie-vote defeat, compounded by another defeat for party leaders the same day on an Israel-only aid package. Republicans were later able to impeach Mayorkas.

An Emmer aide denied that Johnson has shown any undue caution in dealing with the congressman and said Emmer didn’t oppose Johnson’s decision to proceed with the impeachment vote — despite his advice on the likely outcome.

Emmer had seemed well-positioned to succeed Kevin McCarthy after the former speaker was overthrown last October. He’d previously had stints as the chairman of the House Republican political arm — traveling the country, raising money, and helping new recruits and colleagues win elections.

But Trump and Trump allies remained angry at Emmer over his decision to not join other House Republicans, including Johnson, in opposing certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory.

Trump called Emmer a “Globalist RINO” — or Republican In Name Only — and said on Truth Social his election as speaker would be a “tragic mistake.” Trump ally Steve Bannon joined in the attacks, and other conservatives activists followed, including criticizing Emmer for voting in 2022 to codify federal protections for same-sex marriage.

Emmer quickly dropped his bid, withdrawing just hours after his nomination. He spent the much of the evening locked in a room with a long-time GOP colleague, then-Rules Committee Chairman Tom Cole of Oklahoma, smoking cigars and avoiding reporters.

Emmer isn’t the only potential Johnson successor, with longer-term Trump allies Jim Jordan of Ohio, Elise Stefanik of New York and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise. But Emmer isn’t just strengthening ties to Trump.

He’s also nurtured relations with important business interests. He received repeated applause last month at an American Bankers Association conference in Washington where he praised bankers for providing capital to small businesses, touted his support for authorizing banks to provide services to state-legalized marijuana businesses, and his long concerns about a central bank digital currency.

He’s pushing bills passed out of the Financial Services Committee to provide a regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies, including stablecoins.

And he’s pitched himself as a man for the moment, capable of bridging the many divisions within a fractious party.

--With assistance from Steven T. Dennis, Christian Hall and Stephanie Lai.

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