As co-chair of the committee, Cheney has done more to explain and focus the nation on what Trump did—he “summoned the mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack”—than anyone on the national stage. And the committee has much still to do in the months ahead. But, the moment she’s viewed as a candidate rather than a co-chair of the committee, she’ll be chased through halls of Congress with inane questions about fundraising, polls, strategy, staff, and outrage-of-the-day minutiae. People will quit caring about what she’s saying and start judging what she’s wearing and evaluating her “likability.” Or worse, they will cast doubt on whether she is co-leading the committee with integrity or steering it toward conclusions intended to further her political ambitions.

If Cheney wants to be a presidential candidate or mount another effort to defeat Trump in 2024, she should. Later. Those questions should be decisively, definitively deferred until she has packed up her congressional office.

Her time in Congress will end quickly enough. Besides, the press already considers her a national figure. Cheney gains nothing by teasing a presidential run and subjecting herself to endless 2024 inquiries. Her final days as Wyoming’s representative should be wholly dedicated to putting the final touches on the Jan. 6th Committee’s report, issuing recommendations to Congress, and doing all she can to inform the public of the committee’s findings.