US election 2016: Will Chelsea Clinton take on first lady duties?
Friends suggest Hillary's husband Bill may 'get a pass on much of the drudgery of ceremonial housekeeping'

If Hillary Clinton is elected president next month, her husband Bill will become the first male presidential spouse in US history – but could it be their daughter Chelsea who takes on the traditional first lady role?
What will Bill Clinton's title be?
The formal title for the role is "first gentleman", although Bill Clinton has joked about becoming America's "first dude". However, former presidents are still referred to as "Mr President" so the moniker is not so simple, says CBS News: "When you look at it that way, the Clintons could very well be referred to as 'president and president'. Talk about setting a president precedent!"
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What will he do in the White House?
Hillary has suggested she would turn to her husband for advice, especially on the economy, and may give him a "specific global problem to solve", says Time magazine. Family friends say he could also be dispatched abroad to put his experience and skill-set to good use. But most political commentators agree he is unlikely to take up the more traditional first lady duties, such as decorating, managing florists and catering.
Who will carry out those responsibilities then?
"Clinton family confidantes say that Bill Clinton may get a pass on much of the drudgery of ceremonial housekeeping – and that the responsibility for choosing cutlery and curtains may fall to the couple's 36-year-old daughter, Chelsea Clinton," says QZ.
Hillary has said she will "keep an eye" on the "more social aspects" of the White House, says Time magazine. But friends of Chelsea say she is likely to "lend a hand around major events and holidays, at least by phone and email, and to help her father with some of the traditional duties of a president's spouse", reports the New York Times. She is also expected to take over the family foundation if her mother wins next month.
"Any suggestion that Chelsea Clinton might be relied upon to perform traditional first-lady tasks has the potential to strike a nerve, prompting concerns about an overly gendered view of presidential family roles," says the NYT.
But, the newspaper adds, Hillary, like Chelsea, had a top degree and an accomplished career when she "threw herself into the role of first lady in the 1990s".
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Scottish hospitality shines at these 7 hotels
The Week Recommends Sleep well at these lovely inns across Scotland
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
Scientists invent a solid carbon-negative building material
Under the radar Building CO2 into the buildings
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: April 1, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Law firms: Caving to White House pressure
Feature Trump targets major law firms tied to his past investigations
By The Week US Published
-
Rule of law: Are we in a constitutional crisis?
Feature Donald Trump defies federal court order to halt deportation flights to El Salvador
By The Week US Published
-
Trump 'not joking' about unconstitutional 3rd term
Speed Read The president seems to be serious about seeking a third term in 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Why does Donald Trump want Greenland?
The Explainer Trump is not the only US president who has tried to gain control of Greenland
By The Week UK Published
-
What dangers does the leaked Signal chat expose the US to?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The White House's ballooning group chat scandal offered a masterclass in what not to say when prying eyes might be watching
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sets 25% tariffs on auto imports
Speed Read The White House says the move will increase domestic manufacturing. But the steep import taxes could also harm the US auto industry.
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'Even authoritarian regimes need a measure of public support — the consent of at least some of the governed'
instant opinion 'Opinion, comment and editorials of the day'
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Waltz takes blame for texts amid calls for Hegseth ouster
Speed Read Democrats are calling for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and national security adviser Michael Waltz to step down
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published