Imagine this fictional scene--mixed in with some reality: Walking into the White House press room -- wearing a black mask -- with Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top infectious disease expert, by her side, President Hillary Clinton slowly approached the podium before removing her mask and unveiling a stack of written remarks. Fauci stood behind her, with another heap of graphs and notes, waiting for his turn to get a chance at the microphone.

“Thank you for being here. I wish more of the press could join us this evening, but these circumstances are unprecedented, unsafe, so we must do what’s right,” Clinton said to less than a dozen reporters at a daily coronavirus press briefing.

“I’ll now provide an update on where we stand with the coronavirus,” she added.

Clinton has had these briefings since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, informing the nation on the latest coronavirus case numbers, the path to economic recovery and her plans to create jobs, despite the virus’s impact on nearly tripling the unemployment rate.

Capitol Hill has been a feisty atmosphere in recent weeks, as coronavirus relief package negotiations have been stalled since Republicans and Democrats are too polarized to agree on seemingly any provision. Republicans argue for liability protections and the termination of jobless claims, while Democrats advocate for more spending and increased unemployment benefits.

The country reached a new low of less than 500 new coronavirus cases in one day. There’s been a steady decline in the number of cases since May, when Clinton issued a federal mask mandate that caused an uproar of social and political unrest, as some conservatives disapproved of the mandate. Even though cases have hit a record low, the administration is preparing for a second wave of the coronavirus.

Republicans have also condemned the Clinton administration for the relaxed response towards China -- where the virus originated. Clinton hasn’t taken intense steps to address the issue, and Senate Republicans have slammed for her refusal to do so.

In terms of a potential coronavirus vaccine, Clinton unleashed the brutal truth last week, noting that the country wouldn’t see one until the beginning of 2021. There have been a number of vaccines in advanced clinical trials, but none have been tested and researched enough to be approved for further execution. 

Clinton’s administration, however, has undergone public scrutiny recently as “accusations that Clinton browbeat the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) into approving testing kits using regulatory standards lower than standard FDA protocols,” The Washington Post reported. The allegations have likely dampened Clinton’s presidential run for 2020, as recent polls indicated a large disapproval for her handling of the coronavirus. 

The virtual Democratic National Convention just ended Thursday, where Clinton officially accepted the nomination to head the party’s ticket in November. Her opponent -- presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump -- will lead his party’s convention next week. Trump, who has utilized the last four years to campaign, has closely led in national polls in recent months as he’s advocated against intense quarantining efforts and a federal mask mandate.

Now, Let Us Return to the Present: 

“I would have read my damn briefs,” Clinton tweeted a few weeks ago, in response to a tweet that speculated her presidency during the coronavirus pandemic.

Since April, Clinton has outwardly opposed Trump’s handling of the coronavirus, noting that it’s been “frustrating to be on the sidelines in a pandemic.” As a veteran politician who has a resume that beams with federal government work history, many would argue Clinton would have been able to tame and handle the coronavirus.

“President Clinton would be able to tell you where every vaccine in development stood, how fast tests were coming back in all 384 metropolitan areas, what PPE stocks looked like in every midsize city in the country. We would not be free of the coronavirus, but unlike under this administration, we would have a plan,” Vox’s editor-at-large, Ezra Klein, wrote.

Although it’s unknown how the coronavirus pandemic would have leveled out under a Clinton administration, it seems reasonable to assume she would have followed the science, maintained close relationships with top infectious disease experts and listened to both sides of the aisle in order to compromise.

Rachel Bucchino is a reporter at the National Interest. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report and The Hill.