In the 2000 episode “Bart to the Future,” The Simpsons portrayed Lisa Simpson as the first female president of the United States, succeeding a presidency led by Donald Trump. This storyline led many to speculate that the show had predicted Kamala Harris’ potential rise to the presidency, especially after she became the first female vice president in 2021. Notably, Lisa’s attire in the episode—a purple suit and pearls—bore a striking resemblance to Harris’s inauguration outfit, further fueling these speculations.
However, the 2024 U.S. presidential election ended with Donald Trump defeating Kamala Harris, as People reported on November 6, 2024.  This outcome diverges from the predicted scenario in which Harris would ascend to the presidency following Trump’s term, as some had inferred from the show’s narrative. As a result, the prediction attributed to The Simpsons did not materialize as expected.
This case highlights the limitations of interpreting fictional narratives as accurate predictions of real events. While The Simpsons has coincidentally depicted scenarios that have subsequently come to pass, such as Trump’s first presidency, not all of its depictions align with actual outcomes. The 2024 election results serve as a reminder that, despite some occasional similarities, fictional content should not be considered prophetic.