What should the Senate Republicans do about Trump?

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This OP was inspired and influenced by the most recent fivethirtyeight podcast.

Some caveats here. I do not mean to make this another thread about how good or bad Trump but strategic. You are Mitch McConnell. Your job is if possible is to keep Republican control of the Senate or mitigate the damage if the blue wave of 2018 continues in 2020. The "game" rests on the assumption that House impeaches and some more "damaging" information comes out(probably in a tweet)

1. Continue to circle the wagons around Trump and defend him at all costs. The "nuclear option" is that if things are so bad McConnell will just refuse to hold a trial saying there is nothing in the constitution specifically requiring it. It is important to note that McConnall has publicly ruled out this. Some have speculated this is an indication the Republicans are going to bail. The thinking behind "circle the wagons" is "we" are going to get pasted anyway lets not put at risk seats in heavily Trump states.

2. Convict Trump

3. Let's Make a deal. Trump resigns before the trail. President Pence pardons him. The thinking is it gets the bad news out of the way as early as possible and absolves Senators of going on record

4. Others

To me the problem is what it has always been for Republicans since Trump emerged dammed if they do dammed they don't. Stick with Trump and if they are in a purple district probably lose in the general. Bail on Trump and they get primaried.

If it is gotten so bad they convict Trump all the Dems have to do is run ad after ad show the "convict" Senators praising Trump.

I doubt Trump will agree to resign. And even if Trump agrees to it will Pence agree to this? Pence would be in a horrible position. Besides being unelected he will be in the unenviable position of being too closely tied to Trump and having a lot of people dislike him for reasons that have nothing to do with Trump. In order for this deal to happen Pence would have to agree not to run. Republicans would have to rely on Democrats self destructing, a good economy, and the massive fury such a pardon would unleash being quickly forgotten due to the short attention spans of Americans

I guess option two is possible but a that is a complete surrender and nothing can help them if it gets to that stage.

That leaves option number 1. They would have to hope it does not get any worse for Trump, The Democrats screw up the impeachment, go all SJW by doing stuff like proposing laws requiring all 72 gender identities on business forms, Trump's whatabouting the Dems sticks, the economy remains good. In other words hope, hope, hope, hope. But in reality they made this choice in 2016-2017 and have stayed the course too long to go back now. If Trump is reelected they probably keep control of the Senate although that is not a sure thing. If he loses they have their base, they keep those seats and try to expand their that base once Trump is gone in 2021, if possible.

5. Stand by quietly, and thereby give their tacit approval of any and all proceedings against Trump.