In the 2000 episode “Bart to the Future,” The Simpsons depicted Lisa Simpson as the first female president of the United States, following a presidency by Donald Trump. This storyline led some to wonder if the show had foreseen Kamala Harris's possible path to the presidency, particularly after she became the first female vice president in 2021. Interestingly, Lisa's purple suit and pearls in the episode closely resembled Harris's outfit at her inauguration, adding to the speculation.
However, as reported by People on November 6, 2024, the 2024 U.S. presidential election concluded with Donald Trump defeating Kamala Harris. This outcome diverges from the scenario some had expected, in which Harris might assume the presidency following Trump’s tenure, as loosely inferred from The Simpsons storyline. As a result, the prediction attributed to the show did not come to pass as speculated.
This situation underscores the limitations of viewing fictional narratives as genuine forecasts of real events. While The Simpsons has occasionally portrayed situations that later happened, such as Trump’s initial presidency, not all of its depictions reflect real-world outcomes. The 2024 election serves as a reminder that, despite certain parallels, fictional content is not necessarily prophetic.
