So it has been 20 days since the presidential election. Every major news outlet has called it for Biden, including Fox. We knew Tr*mp couldn’t win, not if people of color, progressives, and young people came out to vote against Tr*mp, even if we didn’t like Biden. And we came out in droves. But even though Tr*mp was never going win, he was going to try to steal. And our victory was bold enough that he failed. Even with the lawsuits and recounts and other shenanigans going on, Tr*mp’s defeat is solid. He has zero electoral mandate, and that was a huge victory for our movements.

Of course, he still won’t concede. But we knew he was a narcissist who cannot imagine how much he is hated, even with so much blood on his hands. But he’s also a supreme con man. After all, he conned his way into the White House. So what is his angle?

Some are still talking about a coup, but as Republicans jump ship, that looks less and less possible. Then it became clear that his campaign was broke. It was revealed that was using the baseless lawsuits to fuel hope that he might still win, and was sending out desperate appeals to raise money from his base. That made sense. Con men gonna con. If the 70+ million mostly affluent white Americans who voted for him want to waste more money on him, that is their business.

But a new angle is emerging in the public discourse that gives me more pause. Since early October, momentum has grown behind the analysis that Tr*mp is blocking the transition to the Biden administration to leverage an immunity deal from legal action. This makes sense because there are  hundreds of prosecutions he will be subject to when he leaves office.

This is troubling to say the least. Folks have been saying that we defeated Tr*mp, but Tr*mpism is still with us. But without prosecution for his crimes, Tr*mp himself could still be a much more powerful player than if he is subject to the justice system, as broken as it is, and as much as it is designed to favor wealthy white men. Even with the Supreme Court stacked with conservatives, there are so many legal cases and lawsuits, he can’t possibly be protected from all of them. Without immunity, there is definitely some comeuppance headed his way.

So this is really going to be Joe Biden’s first major test. In addition to the very disappointing possible and verified cabinet picks, he will have to decide if he is going to cave to the pressure from Tr*mp for some kind of pardon or deal.

We say, NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE. Let the transition be messy. That man has left a huge mess. How could it be otherwise? We are counting on Biden to yield to the pressure of movements like the Climate Justice Movement and the Movement for Black Lives. Our movements led to Tr*mp’s defeat, and if Biden betrays us here, it’ll be a long four years. But more than that, it will prove what we have feared, that Biden is more loyal to the owning class than he is to those who elected him. Especially since Tr*mp has no real leverage here, except to throw a tantrum.

But if Biden stands strong, it will be a very interesting four years, watching the various Tr*mp cases and scandals move through or legal system. I, for one, am here for it.