Hillary Clinton has not announced a 2020 presidential campaign — though we already know what would happen if she did.

Boisterous (mostly male) political pundits would immediately lay an axe to her candidacy, decrying her “selfish” and “illogical” attempts to serve the American public in the White House. Democratic lawmakers would urge her to withdraw from the race, calling for “unity” in the battle against Donald Trump. And when it comes to the president, his sexist smears would once again ignite an exhaustive election cycle riddled with false double standards.

Even the prospect of Clinton launching another run for the Oval Office has produced fervently critical commentary: headlines in recent weeks have read, “Please, God, not Hillary.”

All in all, a campaign roll-out for Hillary would face far more backlash than that of Bernie Sanders, whose 2020 announcement was met with millions of dollars in donations from voters in every state across the country and swift analysis on how the lifelong Independent lawmaker could possibly win in an ever-crowded pool of popular Democrats.

Sanders’ second shot at the presidency is supported by a common belief held among his most ardent supporters: the Vermont senator’s candidacy has simply never been provided a fair shake. In their view, his campaign was wronged by everyone from the mainstream media, to the Democratic National Committee, to Democratic voters themselves — the list goes on.

In reality, he and Clinton both faced unfair obstacles in 2016. The DNC had clearly chosen Clinton as its favourite in the race from early on, seemingly propping her up against her opponent in the Democratic primaries. There is no longer any denying this fact. However, Sanders’ supporters often overlook the historic onslaught of domestic and foreign attacks that simultaneously plagued Clinton’s candidacy.

Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Show all 23 1 /23 Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Joe Biden The former vice president - poised to be a frontrunner - has announced his run. He recently faced scrutiny for inappropriate touching of women, but was thought to deal with the criticism well AFP/Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Bernie Sanders The 2016 runner-up has announced that he will be running again in 2020 Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Hillary Clinton The 2016 Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State says she is “still considering” whether she will run again. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Pete Buttigieg The Indiana mayor and war veteran will be running for president. If elected, he would be the first openly LGBT+ president in American history. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Kamala Harris The former California attorney general will be running for president in 2020. Introduced to the national stage during Jeff Sessions’ testimony, she has endorsed Medicare-for-all and proposed a major tax-credit for the middle class. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Elizabeth Warren The Massachusetts Senator has formally launched her bid for president in 2020. A progressive Democrat, she is a major supporter of regulating Wall Street. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Beto O’Rourke The former Texas congressman told Oprah Winfrey that he “has been thinking about running for presidency”, but stopped short of formally announcing his bid to run in 2020. AFP/Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Wayne Messam Mayor of the city of Miramar in the Miami metropolitan area, Wayne Messam has announced his bid. He intends to run on a progressive platform against the "broken" federal government. He favours gun regulations and was a signatory to a letter from some 400 mayors condemning President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord. Vice News Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Kirsten Gillibrand The New York Senator formally announced her presidential bid in January, saying that “healthcare should be a right, not a privilege.” Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Cory Booker The New Jersey Senator has announced that he will be running for the presidency in 2020. If he secures the nomination he said finding a female vice president would be a priority. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? John Delaney The Maryland congressman was the first to launch his bid for presidency, making the announcement in 2017. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Julian Castro The former San Antonio mayor announced his candidacy in January and said that his running has a “special meaning” for the Latino community in the US. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Tulsi Gabbard The Hawaii congresswoman announced her candidacy in January, but is likely to face tough questions on her past comments on LGBT+ rights and her stance on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Andrew Yang The entrepreneur has announced his presidential candidacy, and has pledged that he would introduce a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to every American over the age of 18. AFP/Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Marianne Williamson The author and spiritual advisor has announced her intention to run for president. She had previously run for congress as an independent in 2014 but was unsuccessful. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? John Kerry The former secretary of state has said he is still thinking about whether to run. Getty Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Michael Bloomberg The entrepreneur and former New York mayor– with a net worth of around $50bn – has said he will decide by the end of February whether to seek the presidency. AFP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Howard Schultz Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has not yet ruled out running for president in 2020, despite criticism that his bid could help re-elect Mr Trump by dividing the Democrat vote. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Eric Holder The former attorney general has said he will decide in “the next month or so” whether to run as a 2020 presidential candidate. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Eric Swalwell The California congressman said he is “ready to do this” and will decide before April whether to run. MSNBC Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Terry McAuliffe The former Virginia governor, who worked to elect Democratic governors during 2018 midterms, said there was a “50 per cent” chance he would run. AP Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Sherrod Brown The Ohio senator is still undecided about whether to run for president in 2020. Who could be running against Trump in 2020? Mitch Landrieu The former New Orleans mayor said he doesn’t think he will run for president, but “never say never”. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

For starters, the US Intelligence Community has confirmed she was the target of election meddling campaigns brought by foreign adversaries who sought to sow division in the Democratic primaries and beyond. Her campaign was hacked and had its information stolen. Moreover, such hacks were seemingly encouraged by Donald Trump, who enthusiastically implored Russia to look into his opponent during a 2016 rally.

In the US, Hillary Clinton faced a whole other sort of beast. As the first female presidential nominee for a major political party, she found herself stepping out into a field of arrows. She was hit with every typical insult women face in the workplace and in their personal lives: she didn’t smile enough; she “screamed” during policy debates; her clothes were unflattering; she was too old and frail to serve. If she adopted any of the progressive policies her Democratic opponent had featured in his campaign platform, Clinton would have been labelled “pie in the sky” or “hysterical about capitalism.”

“When Bernie yells, it shows his dedication to the cause,” said Jay Newton-Small of Time Magazine. “When she yells, it’s interpreted in a very different way: She’s yelling at you.”

And yet, somehow, she still managed to beat Donald Trump in the popular vote by 2,864,903 ballots.

The impact of both Sanders and Clinton having run in 2016 can now be seen on the national stage. The Democratic Party has co-opted Sanders’ calls for universal healthcare, lowering the price of prescription drugs and fighting for economic equality and social justice.

Thanks in part to Hillary Clinton, the largest number of female lawmakers are now seated in the US House of Representatives. There is also a record number of women running for the White House in 2020.