“ I’ve asked this of many lubavitchers after building a friendly rapport; the conversation never ends with a simple “no.” Not once.”
That’s actually amazing although in many schools today there’s no education on the topic (I was lucky I asked for it in high school), so I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d get an ignorant no from my generation. But after learning the sichos and shiurim myself, it’s not really possible to think otherwise. (I’m not learned enough to define hakachic status such as bchezkas moshiach and Vadai etc to The Rebbe) it seems the basis for it all is logically understanding what The Rebbe said, not the halachic status. So whether The Rebbe lost his halachic status as bchezkas moshiach etc after gimmel Tammuz, or whether Chassidim doing The Rebbes work is a halachic continuation etc, regardless, The Rebbe will eventually manifest the halachic status because the process of Geula, led by The Rebbe has already begun.