Fans of The Simpsons are convinced the show eerily predicted the 2024 U.S. presidential election map, matching this year’s results nearly 20 years after the original episode aired. The season 11 episode, “Bart to the Future,” portrayed Lisa Simpson as the U.S. president succeeding Donald Trump, who was humorously referenced as leaving behind “quite a budget crunch.” The cartoon depiction of Lisa in a purple suit had many drawing parallels to Kamala Harris, especially after she wore similar attire for her vice-presidential inauguration in 2021.
A post on X (formerly Twitter) went viral as one user shared side-by-side images of The Simpsons’ election map and this year’s actual election map, commenting, “WTF SIMPSONS ARE FROM THE FUTURE!” The post sparked a wave of responses as viewers pointed out the close similarities between the fictional and real-life electoral map, even though the show’s scenario imagined Lisa winning the presidency instead of Harris, who conceded to Trump.
The uncanny resemblance between The Simpsons’ fictional map and the real election map added to the show’s long-standing reputation for predicting major events, from Trump’s initial presidency to other societal trends. Fans on social media remarked that the episode feels like a “warning” that foreshadowed the political climate in the U.S. and the unexpected longevity of Trump’s influence in American politics.
WTF SIMPSONS ARE FROM THE FUTURE THEY GOT LITERALLY THE EXACT MAP FROM THIS ELECTION #ElectionDay #USAElection2024 #Kamala4President #Harris_Walz2024 pic.twitter.com/9tthDd5mS5
— Edgarplays studio’s (@edgarplaysST) November 6, 2024
Back in 2016, Simpsons writer Dan Greaney described the Trump presidency prediction as a cautionary “warning to America,” adding layers to the cartoon’s influence on public perception. While The Simpsons didn’t predict Harris’s eventual loss, the episode’s visual and thematic parallels have once again left fans marveling at the show’s strange prophetic streak.
