The United States only has one president at a time, but when the White House changes hands, the period between Election Day and Inauguration Day is as close as our system ever gets to a gray area. This is even truer amid the longest legal challenge of presidential election results in history, exceeding the 2000 Florida recount drama insofar as it stretches past the federal “safe harbor” deadline by which states must finalize their electors.

Still, President-elect Joe Biden has commenced work putting together a new administration, and President Trump is, despite Twitter shouts of defiance, giving every appearance of closing up shop. In the meantime, there are last-minute pardons to be issued, stray judges to be confirmed, troops to be drawn down overseas, and a pandemic continuing to go on.