White House fears some GOP senators may choose to retire and impeach Trump on the way out the door

While the chances of President Donald Trump getting convicted in the Senate remain low, the White House is nonetheless worried that a group of Republican senators could split with the president and vote against him during his impeachment trial.

The New York Times reports that "Republicans close to the White House are increasingly concerned that a bloc of senators could emerge, including some they suspect might not run for re-election, to break with the president."

The report also claims that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has not been forcing vulnerable Republican Senators to fall in line with the president, as he is focused on protecting his majority more than making the president happy.

"Mr. McConnell has instructed fellow Republicans privately that they must figure out individually the impeachment message that works best for them politically," the Times reports. "But he is also keenly focused on tailoring the process to insulate his most vulnerable members from a constituent backlash."

While Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) has already signaled that he's open to removing Trump from office depending on the evidence provided, other senators who could potentially split with the president are Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Susan Collins (R-ME), who are both up for reelection in states that voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016.