BREAKING from our report on @thenewsoncnbc:

Sec. Pompeo and Sec. Mnuchin were two of the Cabinet secretaries who held exploratory discussions with staff about the 25th amendment last night, per three sources familiar with the matter (1/) https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/07/mnuchin-pompeo-discussed-trump-removal-after-dc-riots.html

There were several roadblocks raised:
- the legal process would take more than a week
- there's not clarity on which officials could vote
- there was a worry it would incite more violence on the far right, creating greater risk in the long-term (2/)

"The general plan now is to let the clock run out,” said one former senior administration official aware of the discussions. “There will be a reckoning for this president, but it doesn’t need to happen in the next 13 days.” (3/)

Officials said the hope was that those closest to POTUS could be his "better angels" and convince him to embrace a detente for the next 12 days. That appears to have worked, judging by the Twitter video posted tonight. (4/)

And while there's still a wave of resignations underway, there's also an effort to maintain a smooth transition process for the incoming admin. Chris Liddell, I'm told, will stay. And Chao's not leaving till 1/11 bc she's meeting with Buttigieg team tomorrow, per sources. (5/)

Several WH and agency aides used the following words to describe the mood among staffers: "Disgusted," "appalled," "shocked" after the Capitol siege. (6/)

But others are non-plussed: There's also a faction within the WH of harder-line advisers (McEntee, Scavino, Miller) who believe the images of the Capitol yesterday were an "exaggerated" byproduct of "left-wing media," per an official. (7/7)