With 13 days left in U.S. President Donald Trump's term, confidants and Republican officials are considering drastic steps to stop him, according to Axios.
These measures include censure, impeachment or invoking the 25th Amendment - a move, long dismissed as a liberal fantasy, in which Vice President Pence would step in if Trump were found to be unable to perform his duties.
This talk is coming from current and former White House and GOP Hill aides, and Republican lobbyists and political consultants - all of whom have either embraced him or quietly tolerated him until now.
Senior State Department officials are encouraging 25th Amendment discussions along with other officials at the White House and other departments, according to two sources involved in the discussions.
Republicans are furious with the president for what they see as fomenting an attack on American democracy, disgracing their party and invading the sanctity of their chambers on the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue.
A censure has little impact. Even if there were the bipartisan will for a second impeachment of Trump, there is not enough time remaining for a trial in the Senate.
The 25th Amendment route would require buy-in from Pence and a majority of Trump's Cabinet. But many of those Cabinet members also have been loyalists to the president and serve in acting capacities, so it's not clear that support or will exists.
No House or Senate Republican leaders are yet championing these ideas - and it's too soon to know whether those talking about them are just letting off steam after a shock to the democracy, or whether a critical mass exists to proceed, the newspaper writes.
