The Consequences

The House is moving toward impeachment, but removing Trump is unlikely, if not impossible [Nancy Pelosi]( Samuel Corum/Getty Images The Big Picture: Steps Toward Removal The House is [moving closer to impeaching President Trump]( for a second time over his role in inciting mob violence at the U.S. Capitol Wednesday that resulted in the deaths of five people. The [effort is unlikely to succeed]( in removing Trump because: (1) the Senate is adjourned until Jan. 19, and (2) even if it was in session, there probably aren’t enough Republicans who would support it. Two-thirds of Congress are needed for removal. The [25th Amendment]( is the only other way to remove a president. But for it to be invoked, Vice President Pence and a majority of Trump’s Cabinet have to be on board. Pence appears to have no appetite for it. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi [also on Friday]( said she spoke to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff “to discuss available precautions for preventing an unstable president from initiating military hostilities or accessing the launch codes and ordering a nuclear strike.” Pelosi later told her caucus she had received assurances that there were safeguards in place, a source on the call told NPR. There are 11 days to go in the Trump presidency, and any real accountability for Trump could come after he leaves office — whether that’s through legal action, investigations or damage to his brand and business empire. One consequence came Friday night. One of Trump’s megaphones was taken away from him — he was “[permanently suspended]( from Twitter. — Domenico Montanaro, NPR’s senior political editor/correspondent [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- [Member of mob in Nancy Pelosi's office]( Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images Insurrection At The Capitol Police treatment of protesters: In June, federal agents deployed tear gas and rubber bullets on peaceful protesters near the White House to clear a path for President Trump's photo-op. On Wednesday, a mob of pro-Trump insurrectionists was allowed — largely unobstructed — to pillage the United States Capitol. Multiple figures, including former First Lady Michelle Obama and President-elect Biden, issued statements [pointing out this apparent discrepancy]( in law enforcement action. Security accountability: Several top security officials on Capitol Hill resigned in the wake of this week’s violent insurrection. The House sergeant-at-arms, the Senate sergeant-at-arms and the U.S. Capitol Police chief [all tendered their resignations]( after facing calls from Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress. Arrests begin: Richard Barnett, the man who posed for photos sitting at a desk in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, was arrested on Friday, [one of 13 individuals facing federal charges]( in the aftermath of the violence. Law enforcement have been seeking the public’s help in [identifying the individuals who stormed the Capitol]( — though many have already been identified on social media, and some even bragged of their participation on their own accounts. Facebook bans Trump: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced [President Trump would be banned]( from posting on the platform through the inauguration, and possibly beyond. "We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great," Zuckerberg wrote. Twitter followed suit Friday night, [permanently suspending his account](. Five deaths: The death toll from the Capitol insurrection has risen to five after U.S. Capitol Police Office [Brian Sicknick died late Thursday]( from injuries he suffered while responding to the violence. Sicknick was a 42-year-old military veteran who had served in the Capitol Police for 12 years. Authorities also [identified the woman killed by a U.S. Capitol Police officer]( during the insurrection as Ashli Babbitt. She was a supporter of President Trump and a follower of the far-right QAnon conspiracy, as well as an Air Force veteran. For more updates on the fallout from this week’s violence, [follow NPR’s live blog](. — Brandon Carter, NPR Politics social media producer --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- [Raphael Warnock]( Brandon Bell/Getty Images ICYMI: Top Stories Skipping inauguration: President Trump said on Friday that [he would not attend]( President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration. Biden's response? "One of the few things he and I have ever agreed on." Vice President Pence, however, is "welcome," Biden said. Trump will be the first president in recent history not to attend the swearing-in of his successor. National security transition: Biden named a slate of [key players for his National Security Council]( this week. Meanwhile, more members of the current NSC resigned from the Trump administration, citing Wednesday's insurrection. Biden also named his nominees for labor and commerce secretaries. [See all of his nominees and appointments here](. Another grim record: The U.S. has for the first time recorded [more than 4,000 deaths in one day]( from complications of COVID-19. Dr. Anthony Fauci [told NPR]( he expects January figures to grow worse. Senate control: Democrats have [secured control of the Senate]( with wins in both Georgia Senate runoffs. The chamber is split 50-50 between the parties, but as vice president, Democrat Kamala Harris is able to break any ties between the lawmakers. [Raphael Warnock]( who beat Sen. Kelly Loeffler, will be the first Black Democratic senator from the South. [Jon Ossoff]( won his race against Republican David Perdue. Cabinet confirmation pace: Biden is poised to enter his presidency with the [fewest Cabinet confirmations in decades](. So far only one of his nominees has a confirmation hearing scheduled in the Senate. Pointing in particular to his nominees for secretary of state, defense, Treasury and homeland security, Biden said Friday, "Given what our country has been through the last few days, given the threats and the risks in this world, they should be confirmed as close to Jan. 20 as possible." Assange extradition: The federal prosecutor seeking to try WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Espionage Act charges said he's uncertain about whether the administration of President-elect Joe Biden would continue the extradition effort. [Zachary Terwilliger spoke with NPR]( on one of his final days in government service. — Dana Farrington, NPR Politics digital editor --------------------------------------------------------------- [Protesters outside the capitol]( Jon Cherry/Getty Images Going Deeper How to talk to kids: Explaining events like the violence at the Capitol to young people is not an easy task, but parents, caregivers and teachers can help children cope with the anxiety or fear it might cause. One way is to model self-care, including stepping away from the news, and encouraging them to talk, [NPR’s education team reports](. When rhetoric turned to action: Wednesday’s riot was the [culmination of weeks of incendiary rhetoric]( and increasingly feverish planning — much of which took place opening on websites popular with far-right conspiracy theorists. — Dana Farrington, NPR Politics digital editor --------------------------------------------------------------- [Republicans who maintained objections]( Caroline Amenabar/NPR; Samuel Corum, Mandel Ngan, Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images The Shot: Republican Objectors After hours of lockdown at the Capitol Wednesday night, lawmakers returned to complete the business of counting Electoral College votes. But first, they completed debate and a vote on an outstanding objection against the results in Arizona. Many Republican senators abandoned their plans to sustain the objection after the violence. [Six senators stayed the course](. [Read more]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. 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