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.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up

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.