Vice President Mike Pence is opposed to using the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from power, multiple news outlets reported Thursday.
A growing number of House and Senate members, including one Republican, have called for Trump's removal via the Constitutional measure following Wednesday's riot by Trump supporters at the U.S. Capitol that many believe was incited by the president.
Before they stormed the Capitol, Trump continued to lob baseless claims of election fraud at a rally. His supporters then went to the Capitol to disrupt the congressional certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
Fox News, Business Insider and the New York Times report Pence is opposed to using the 25th Amendment. Additionally, at least two members of Trump's cabinet -- Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos -- resigned Thursday. Since a vote of Cabinet members would likely be needed to invoke the 25th Amendment, it's not clear what happens if too many of them resign.
No president has ever been removed from power involuntarily by way of the 25th Amendment. Two have previously used it to temporarily transfer power while undergoing medical procedures.
Some Democratic members of the House announced they had already drawn up articles of impeachment to be submitted in the hopes of removing Trump. Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday the House may go forward with the measure if Pence did not act.
That option also seemed unlikely with 12 days left in Trump's term. It would take time to organize the hearings and trial mandated for an impeachment. When Trump was impeached over the Ukraine issue, the process took months and he was ultimately acquitted in the Republican-controlled Senate.
But the fact that the dramatic options were even the subject of discussion in Washington's corridors of power served as a warning to Trump. He released a video statement Thursday condemning the violence, saying those responsible would be brought to justice. And after weeks of suggesting he might remain in office, Trump finally acknowledged Biden would take over.
Fears of what a desperate president could do in his final days spread in the nation's capital and beyond, including speculation Trump could incite more violence, make rash appointments, issue ill-conceived pardons — including for himself and his family — or even trigger a destabilizing international incident.
