Pence unlikely to invoke 25th Amendment, but option reportedly remains on the table


Things have reportedly not been going well between President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence since Wednesday's deadly Capitol riot.
As of Saturday night, the two men, who have for more than four years enjoyed a publicly harmonious relationship, had not spoken since the incident — Trump is reportedly angry at Pence for not blocking the Electoral College certification (a power which he does not have), while Pence has finally "gotten a glimpse" of the president's "vindictiveness," a source told CNN.
Still, Pence doesn't seem inclined to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump, an unprecedented act that would require support from the majority of the Cabinet. Pence instead prefers, per CNN, to focus on providing a helpful "bridge" to President-elect Joe Biden, whose inauguration he plans to attend, unlike Trump.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But while his preference may be to run out the clock until Jan. 20, a source close to Pence told CNN the vice president has not taken the 25th Amendment route off the table and is keeping an eye on whether Trump becomes more unstable. The decision, the source reportedly said, will ultimately depend on Trump's actions over the next few days. Read more at CNN.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
Colleges are canceling affinity graduations amid DEI attacks but students are pressing on
In the Spotlight The commencement at Harvard University was in the news, but other colleges are also taking action
-
When did computer passwords become a thing?
The Explainer People have been racking their brains for good codes for longer than you might think
-
What to know before 'buying the dip'
the explainer Purchasing a stock once it has fallen in value can pay off — or cost you big
-
White House tackles fake citations in MAHA report
speed read A federal government public health report spearheaded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was rife with false citations
-
Judge blocks push to bar Harvard foreign students
speed read Judge Allison Burroughs sided with Harvard against the Trump administration's attempt to block the admittance of international students
-
Trump's trade war whipsawed by court rulings
Speed Read A series of court rulings over Trump's tariffs renders the future of US trade policy uncertain
-
Elon Musk departs Trump administration
speed read The former DOGE head says he is ending his government work to spend more time on his companies
-
Trump taps ex-personal lawyer for appeals court
speed read The president has nominated Emil Bove, his former criminal defense lawyer, to be a federal judge
-
US trade court nullifies Trump's biggest tariffs
speed read The US Court of International Trade says Trump exceeded his authority in imposing global tariffs
-
Trump pauses all new foreign student visas
speed read The State Department has stopped scheduling interviews with those seeking student visas in preparation for scrutiny of applicants' social media
-
Trump pardons Virginia sheriff convicted of bribery
speed read Former sheriff Scott Jenkins was sentenced to 10 years in prison on federal bribery and fraud charges