Within the House Republican Conference, it’s time for a showdown, or, rather, a staredown.

Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Whip Steve Scalise, Republican Policy Committee Chairman Gary Palmer, and the ranking Republican in each House standing committee should publicly oppose efforts to purge Wyoming’s Liz Cheney from chairmanship of the House Republican Conference. They should let it be known that party leadership will look askance and perhaps strip House members of valued committee assignments if they support such an intraparty coup attempt.