Vice President Mike Pence has not ruled out using the 25th Amendment against President Trump in case his state of mind becomes more unstable in the days leading up to Inauguration Day, according to a report.
Pence’s team is worried invoking the 25th Amendment — which can be used to remove a president from office — or starting an impeachment process, might trigger Trump into action which puts the nation at risk, a source told CNN.
Pence’s goal for now is to ensure there’s a smooth transition between the Trump administration and President-elect Joe Biden’s team, as well as making sure Biden is prepared to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, the source told the network.
Trump and Pence have not spoken to each other since the Capitol Hill attack on Wednesday, CNN reported. Thousands of Trump supporters attended the violent attempted siege, which killed at least five people, including a police officer and an Air Force veteran.
Pence has been under fire from Trump for refusing to halt the Electoral College count, which Congress certified early Thursday, officially declaring Biden as the election winner.
On Friday, before Twitter permanently suspended Trump’s personal account, the president tweeted he would not be attending Biden’s inauguration.
In response, Biden said at a news conference in Wilmington, Delaware, he’s glad Trump, the “embarrassment,” won’t be at his swearing in.
As for Pence, Biden said, the “vice president is welcome to come and we’d be honored to have him there.”
House Democrats have already drafted articles of impeachment, accusing Trump of “inciting an insurrection,” which will be formally introduced on Monday.
In a letter to Democrats Saturday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote, “There must be a recognition that this desecration was instigated by the President.”
“The Times Have Found us to save our democracy,” Pelosi added. “We will be proceeding with meetings with Members and Constitutional experts and others . . . I urge you to be prepared to return to Washington this week.”