This is cnn breaking news. It is the top of the hour. Im kate bolduan. Thank you so much for joining us. For years, Vice President mike pence was president Donald Trumps most loyal righthand man. But this week may have changed everything. Cnn is now learning that the two men have no tt spoken since wednesdays attack on the capitol. And that pence now isnt ruling out an effort to use the 25th amendment to remove the president from office. But sources, also, say that the Vice President s team is concerned that making this rare and extraordinary move could cause the president to act out, and do something that could put the nation at risk. The relationship between the two soured after trump tried to get the Vice President to overturn the Election Results in congress. Calling him out on the stage, before that riot played out. And obviously, this is something that pence cant do, and he had made clear that he could not do. And add to that, the president has done nothing to denounce this. The silence from the president is almost as deafening, as the mobs calls to hang mike pence, the Vice President , there. A White House Deputy press secretary did put out a statement, tonight, saying the following. We strongly condemn all calls to violence, including those against any member of this administration. But, feeling no need to actually say the Vice President. Remember, one also, this. Remember, one Capitol Hill Police officer died in the insurrection. Yet, the president has said nothing about him or any of the other four people who died. The white house hasnt even taken the step to honor officer brian sicknick, by lowering flags to halfstaff. Whereas, they very quickly made that step to honor him, in congress. So far, just nothing but stunning silence, still, from President Trump on this. Cnns white house correspondent, john harwood, joining us, once again, from washington. John, what is likely to happen now . I just like, when sun comes up, now that we know that trump and pence. They havent even spoken since wednesday. What is going to happen . Well, i think, everyone in washington is hoping to run out the clock on Donald Trumps presidency, without anything terrible happening. I dont believe that the 25th amendment can actually be invoked, in this case, because i dont think you could get a majority of the cabinet to go along with that. Or pence to to go along with it, as well. The president could challenge it. Force a vote in congress. And especially, it becomes less likely when a couple of the cabinet members, most disturbed by the president s behavior, betsy devos and elaine chao, and resigned from the cabinet. So, their votes to proceed with the 25th amendment would not be available, were they inclined to do so. So, i think its mostly about trying to keep pressure on President Trump. And for mike pence, i think mike pence is taking on a bit of the institutional role of president , that the actual president has given up. Donald trumps long since stopped doing the job of president. Hes only concerned about himself. Hes bunkered in the white house, fuming, trying to figure out how to strike back at his enemies. Help his friends, through pardons and that sort of thing. Hes not hes not performing the duties for the nation. Mike pence, just to take one small example, he is going to attend the inauguration, which President Trump is not going to do. When the insurrection happened at the capitol and there had to be communication with the pentagon, about getting the National Guard out, it was mike pence doing the communicating, not President Trump. And as you noted, President Trump has not reached out to mike pence. So, everything is a oneway street with donald trump. But he sort of removed himself, in effect, from the presidency. And everyone else is trying to prevent anything untoward happening, the last, you know, ten days of the administration. And thats obviously part of it. I mean, mike pence, is for all intents and purposes, he is doing the job of the president , in these last days. Even if it is ceremonial, which says something when you are talking about a peaceful transfer of power. What is the reporting, though, on what the president is actually going to do, other than, likely, sit in the residence and watch tv . Well, i think he is trying to figure out ways to communicate to his followers. We understand that he is upset about the message that he was browbeaten into recording, in which he acknowledged he wasnt going to be president after january 20th. His followers needed to hear that. But the president is subsequently, became upset because his socialmedia platforms have been taken away. He is getting roundly condemned. Top aides, cabinet members, are resigning. He is extremely isolated. Very small, and mostly nutty, band of advisers, close to him. And i think, as a consequence, you know, we talk about the 25th amendment, in a formal way. But in an informal way, i think washington is adapting to the reality that Donald Trumps not capable of performing president ial duty. So, for example, kate, when those ten living, former defense secretaries sent that letter organized by dick cheney, cautioning the military against getting involved, that was a signal, as discussion of the 25th amendment, itself, even if its not invoked, is a signal that people should, as best they can, ignore President Trump. Disregard whatever he is trying to make happen. Not, you know, carry out orders that they believe are illegal or improper. And hope that, when we get to the end of ten days nine, if he goes to maralago on the 19th, as we think that we can the country can get out of danger. John, thank you very much. So, another signal, i guess, you could you could definitely take it as that. As House Democrats are actively preparing now new impeachment articles against President Trump. They say that the danger that he poses is too great, even with his term soon coming to an end. House speaker nancy pelosi. She says that they are prepared to introduce the articles, as soon as monday, if the president hasnt stepped down. Which clearly, there is no sign that he will. But we do know that the president has no plans to resign. He is preparing for another senate trial. And sources are saying hes considering Rudy Giuliani and Alan Dershowitz for his defense team. Manu raju has the very latest, from capitol hill. Reporter democrats are pushing full steam ahead to give donald trump the dubious distinction of being the only president in American History who will be impeached twice. That where all signs are headed for an Impeachment Vote, by early in the week. Now, the question is exactly when nancy pelosi will make it official that they will go down this route. She is indicating they plan to do just that because she has demanded the president resign. Or Vice President mike pence take those extraordinary, constitutional actions to force the president out of office, by the 25th amendment of the United States. Now, pence is showing no indication that he is doing that. The president is showing no indication he is going to step aside. So, democrats plan to move forward with an impeachment resolution. Accusing him of inciting an insurrection. Now, democrats, behind the scenes, have been trying to get cosponsors, on both sides of the aisle, to sign onto this proposal. And the democrats believe that they are making Good Progress to getting most, if not all, of their members onboard behind this. There are 222 democrats in the house. There is an expectation that they will be able to get a majority of support, within that full house when the chamber votes, potentially by the middle of the week. Now, the big question will be what happens then . Because there will only be a few days left in Donald Trumps presidency. And theres no indication that the senate will come back before january 19th to begin an impeachment trial to remove donald trump from office. Mitch mcconnell, the Senate Majority leader, has indicated to his members, that it would require the support of all hundred senators to change the schedule, and come back into session for a trial. That, essentially, is not going to happen. So, that may mean that an impeachment trial may be kicked into the new administration, when Joe Biden Takes Office on january 20th. At that same time, democrats will assume control of the Senate Majority. So, the question will be how that impeachment trial would work in a democratic majority, with a democratic president , going after a former president. Try to convict him on the charges of inciting an insurrection and effectively prevent him from holding office, again. So, a lot of questions still remain. But at the moment, democrats are furious at the president s role in the wednesday mob, that led to multiple people dying and deaths and clashes, including one police officer, u. S. Capitol police officer, who died. And they believe the president needs to pay a price for that. So, impeachment seems almost certain to happen in the matter of days. Manu raju, cnn, capitol hill. Manu, thank you so much. Let me bring in right now, two commentators, republican strategists, al stuart. And doug high. Still, holding it out there as something he could use, in case he sees that trump becomes more unstable. Unclear, how much more unstable you can become. What is the message that pence is trying to send with this, do you think . Well, he is troyiying to sen message, both to the president and to congress, thus the entire country, that if we need to do this absolutelast resort as a break glass in case of an emergency, clearly, we have already had an emergency. But codes and buttons and the things only president s can do, pence may be able to do so. He knows, better than anyone, that donald trump is not a stable genius. And so, there are questions of whether or not he will be able to because of resignations the fact that we have a lot of acting secretaries, not real secretaries, confirmed secretaries. To give some assurances to republicans its not just democrats upset right now, a lot of republicans on capitol hill are as well. Thats true. If he does not, what about impeachment . Well, that certainly is another avenue that could certainly be done. Look. Okay. Theres only four options. Theres invoking the 25th, which i would support, but i dont think pence would go for it, for several reasons. Not the least of which, he would like to run for president , one day. There is seeking going after impeachment, i dont see the senate going for that. There is asking the president to kindly step aside. Thats not going to happen. And then, there is the option of letti letting the clock run out, and just praying that the president doesnt do anything dangerous, as hes done this week. The problem, dakate, is that whe we can chase the president out of the white house, its not going to silence the angry mob and his supporters that came out this week and spoke on his behalf. And stormed capitol, on his behalf. So, that is the the difficult part here is, i think, making the practi the president face consequences that he should face for the actions that he tike, but doing so in a way that doesnt rile up the mobsters and insurrectionists, again. And Anything Congress does or mike pence does, they have to keep that in mind. Look, doug, i think alice is getting at something really important here. Let me play for you what former republican senator, bob corker, he said about impeachment. He said something pretty similar. I mean, he said he wants President Trump to resign and get out get out of office, more than anybody else. But he also thinks an impeachment could backfire. The thing about an impeachment is he becomes a victim, again. And whether he ends up, you know, trying to run again in 24. Lets say, if impeachments not successful, which i dont recommend, all you are doing is strengthening him with the people who support him. So, im sorry, i think the best route would be for him to resign. But if not that, we have 12 days left. Lets move on. Lets dont do anything that causes him to to rise in strength, if you will, with the base that so strongly supports him right now. Doug doug, doesnt corker make a good point, here . Well, it is a good point. But ultimate hi, thly, that mea just run out the clock and there is no real penalty for what donald trump has done. He is able to leave on his own terms, essentially, even if they are not the greatest terms in the world. So, there has to be punishment with something thats been done so egregious, something thats been egged on by the president for four years now. And then, there is the other question of Democratic Senators who are looking at ted cruz and josh hawley for their instigating a lot of this as well. Being real lieutenants for donald trump on the senate floor. There has to be some form of punishment. Otherwise, we just say it happened, we couldnt do anything. This is supposed to be the greatest deliberative body in the world. Well, they should do some deliberating. Doug is hitting on something equally or more important for the republican party. Cruz and hawley, who led this objection effort, thats what whipped up these people and led to these riots. You worked for ted cruz. What should happen to them . They know better. The key here, kate, is to go back to how this all began. And this was false information, lies, and spreading misinformation, to the American People. And specifically, republican supporters of the president. About the Election Results. And first and foremost, all of those that that led to the effort to try and stop the electoral vote, they need to one, they need to acknowledge that President Trump lost. Acknowledge that joe biden won. They need to assure the American People their confidence in the electoral process and elections. And they need to abs absolutely condemn any kind of mob violence, in the future. And that is the most Important Message that they can have. But the key with what these senators are advocating for, and i have talked with senator cruz, is that they look at the numbers. 39 of voters feel as though there was mis misappropriation in the election process. Yeah, alice, the reason they feel that way is because ted cruz has been telling them that. I mean, and josh hawley has been telling them that and donald trump has been telling them that. What should happen to ted cruz and josh hawley . Look. As i said, the most important thing right now is to reassure the American People that the election process is fair and accurate. As for what happens to any elected official that went along with the opposition to the electoralcollege votes, the consequences for that will be felt next time they run for reelection. If the voters dont like what they did, they will certainly vote them out of office. And thats the best way, i think, to hold anyone here accountable that was part of the the process to stand in the way of counting and certifying the electoralcollege votes. Its going to be interesting, watching any senator work with josh hawley and ted cruz, over the next years, if this this just goes to stand without any consequences for their role in it, which they have not acknowledged, at all. Good to see you both. Thank you. Coming up for us. Law enforcement agents across the country are hunting down the rioters who broke into the u. S. Capitol, who laid siege on the u. S. Capitol, who attacked the u. S. Capitol, and those who were there to defend it. The latest on the investigations. Next. At capella university, we know the world is pretty smart. Wicked smart. So we built an education just as smart. So smart it can work at my speed . Yep. With flexpath, you can finish your bachelors degree on your terms and budget. Capella university. Dont just learn. Learn smarter. Capella university. Without the Commission Fees so you can start investing today, wherever you are even hanging with your dog. So, what are you waiting for . Download now and get your first stock on us. Robinhood. We made usaa insurance for veterans like martin. When a hailstorm hit, he needed his insurance to get it done right, right away. Usaa. What youre made of, were made for. Usaa young woman dont worry about it, me home. Grandma this will be fun. Usaa. What youre made of, were made for. 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Among those arrests are adam johnson. Arrested in his home state of florida. He is seen in pictures carrying House Speaker pelosis lectern. Also, arrested, in arizona, seen in video inside the capitol wearing face paint and bearskin hat. The fbi