On one hand, Ryan has a responsibility to defend his more positive, solutions-oriented brand of conservatism, which he has done on multiple occasions. On the other hand, he holds a leadership position in the Republican Party. These two roles are not always complimentary.

Complicating things even more is the fact that Ryan will chair the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. It occurs to me that it might be a conflict of interest for the person handling this important function to be publicly playing favorites. What is more, should Trump be denied the nomination at a contested convention, Ryan would either have to recuse himself, or else he would provide Trump’s supporters with evidence that the election was “stolen” or “rigged” — a development that might lead to riots, as Trump has warned.

Consider this from Fox News’ reporter Chad Pergram: “So it falls to Ryan to keep order. Entertain and rule on parliamentary appeals. Consider amendment proposals governing the rules on the floor. Wrestle with delegate allocations. Perhaps the biggest challenge for Ryan will be to address such a potentially raucous scene in an unflappable manner that appears non-partisan and fair, even though various wings of the party may have daggers out for the speaker regardless what happens.”

It’s also worth asking whether or not Ryan making a full-throated criticism of Trump would help or hurt Trump. For better or worse, Ryan is, in many quarters, now considered to be part of the establishment (it’s hard to be an anti-establishment Speaker of the House; in fact, it might be oxymoronic). Would Ryan’s condemnation matter more than, say, Mitt Romney’s?