Cheney appears to me to have been banking on this belief: If she could command the attention of the country for a few days in June, and present what happened as it has never been aired before, in a series of tight, well-scripted sessions, she could hammer home Donald Trump’s unfitness for office. And she could do it out of the mouths of prominent Republicans who served in Trump’s administration and championed Trump policies. That is, instead of partisan Democrat sources, Cheney would use testimony from sources who might be appealing to both pro-Trumpers and Republicans who have no use for Trump personally.

It is already manifest to those willing to open their eyes that Trump cannot win a national election. I believe Cheney is trying to ensure that he never has a chance to try. The point is to make Trump’s lack of viability so clear and undeniable that it ends his career as a candidate — to show the public, Republicans in particular, the parade of Trump horribles that Democrats could readily turn into ad after campaign ad. And even if he seeks the nomination anyway, as he seems poised to do, no party in its right mind would make him its standard-bearer.

There is also the obvious nexus between (a) the notion that Trump will be returning to the Oval Office in 2025 and (b) the grip he maintains on his supporters, which is what gives him such influence over the GOP. I suspect Cheney believes that if she can conclusively dispel the former, the latter will dissipate.