What a Hillary Clinton White House Might Look Like

From Bill's role to Cabinet musical chairs.

ByABC News
November 2, 2016, 4:26 AM

— -- The presidential candidates are in the home stretch of the 2016 race — ramping up attacks on each other, trying to make their closing arguments and securing support in battleground states.

But the next milestone for the winner will be Inauguration Day and the move into the White House.

The polls have ebbed and flowed throughout the race, and even early on when it appeared that Hillary Clinton was a frontrunner, she was careful not to speak about any plans for a possible return to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Here’s what we’ve gathered about what a second Clinton White House could look like.

They’ll Be Familiar With the White House

The Clintons will be in uncharted territory for a number of reasons if the former secretary of state is elected — the first woman president and a former president as her spouse — but the terrain itself will be very familiar.

The closest recent comparison comes from the Bushes, where father and son were elected (separated by Bill Clinton), but no couple has managed to achieve the feat.

During Bill Clinton’s tenure as president, the family lived in the White House from January 1993 until January 2000.

Chelsea Clinton, who grew up in the White House, moved out when she went to college, and predictably she won’t be living in the White House again if her parents move back in.

PHOTO: Chelsea Clinton joined her parents, President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton as he took the oath of office, January 1993.
Chelsea Clinton joined her parents, President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton as he took the oath of office, Jan. 20, 1993.
PHOTO: Hillary, Chelsea  and Bill Clinton depart the White House in Washington with their dog Buddy on their way to a two-week vacation in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Aug. 18, 1998.
Hillary, Chelsea and Bill Clinton depart the White House in Washington with their dog Buddy on their way to a two-week vacation in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Aug. 18, 1998.

What to Call Bill Clinton?

It appears there would be confusion if traditional norms -– which dictate that former presidents still hold onto the title –- are upheld and there are two President Clintons living and working in the White House.

Hillary Clinton first weighed in on this issue back in November 2015 during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel."

“First dude, first mate, first gentlemen – I’m just not sure about it!” she said during her interview with Kimmel.

PHOTO: Bill Clinton (R) and Hillary Clinton (L) read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' to a group of 60 children from 13 DC Schools in the East Room of the White House, Dec. 22, 1998.
Bill Clinton (R) and Hillary Clinton (L) read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas' to a group of 60 children from 13 DC Schools in the East Room of the White House, Dec. 22, 1998.

Questions Over Clinton Foundation

Bill Clinton announced in August that he will no longer raise money for the Clinton Foundation should his wife win in November.

The former president said that it would be presumptuous to assume a November win, but officials for his foundation say that talks about protocol changes have been ongoing since February.

"If Hillary is elected president, the Foundation’s work, funding, global reach, and my role in it will present questions that must be resolved in a way that keeps the good work going while eliminating legitimate concerns about potential conflicts of interest," Bill Clinton wrote in a letter sent to supporters via email this summer, and no further updates have been released

A spokesperson for Chelsea Clinton told ABC News that she will remain on the board regardless of the election results.

Transition Team Is a Go

Another area where the Clinton team has been preparing for “what if” comes in the form of her transition team.

In mid-August, Clinton's campaign announced several key appointments for her transition team.

The team has been based in Washington, D.C., and according to the news release announcing its creation, they were going to be "dedicated to preparing for a potential Clinton-Kaine administration, enabling the Brooklyn-based campaign organization to stay exclusively focused" on the ongoing campaign.

Two of Clinton's top campaign policy advisers — Ed Meier and Ann O'Leary — are shifting their focus from the campaign to the transition. They will be executive directors, handling day-to-day operations.

Former Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar is the chair of the transition team, which is called the Clinton-Kaine Transition Project.

Cabinet Musical Chairs

The guessing game of who will be placed in what cabinet roles has already begun after reports in October over Vice President Joe Biden reportedly being on a short list for Secretary of State. (He has since said that he doesn’t want a role in an administration but “I’ll do anything I can if Hillary’s elected to help her.”)

A number of her other active surrogates -– including Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker –- are believed to be in contention for a top position.

ABC News reporting and analysis points to Warren as a possible treasury secretary, though she may be up against the likes of Sheryl Sandberg and Gene Sperling, who served as Director of the National Economic Council and Assistant to the President for Economic Policy under both Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

PHOTO: Sheryl Sandberg and Hillary Clinton onstage at the Women for Women 20th Anniversary Gala celebration at the American Museum of Natural History, Dec. 3, 2013 in New York.
Sheryl Sandberg and Hillary Clinton onstage at the Women for Women 20th Anniversary Gala celebration at the American Museum of Natural History, Dec. 3, 2013 in New York.

The attorney general’s spot will also be a highly coveted one, and former vice presidential contenders Tom Perez, who currently serves as the secretary of labor, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar are on ABC News’ list, along with the Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. Current AG Loretta Lynch may be asked to stay on.

Clinton has said during the campaign that having a Cabinet that is at least 50 percent women “is certainly my goal.”

“A very diverse Cabinet representing the talents and experience of the entire country. And since we are a 50-50 country, I would aim to have a 50-50 Cabinet,” she said in an interview with Cosmopolitan Magazine.

Questions have been raised in recent days about how present or involved longtime confidant Huma Abedin will be. Abedin has been a longtime aide and adviser to Clinton, having started working for her as an intern back when Clinton was first lady.

She had been a constant presence on the campaign trail until news broke that the FBI is reviewing a new batch of emails associated with Clinton's private email server. The notes were found on a computer reportedly shared by Abedin and her now estranged husband, former Rep. Anthony Weiner.

It is not clear what is in the emails or if Clinton sent any of them.

Getting to the to Do List

The first 100 days of a presidency are said to be the most active because that's when politicians aren't busy running for re-election.

Clinton has promised her administration will introduce "comprehensive immigration reform" that allows some undocumented immigrants to work their way toward citizenship. Additionally, she has vowed to raise the federal minimum wage and make changes to the Affordable Care Act by capping the costs of prescription drugs.

When it comes to foreign affairs, the former secretary of state has proposed negotiating with both Russia and Syria to establish no-fly zones over Syria to "provide safe zones on the ground." She has also said she would invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the United States for a visit to work toward "strengthening and intensifying our relationship."

ABC News' Adam Kelsey, Matthew Claiborne and Liz Kreutz contributed to this report.

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