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The Simpsons Writer: Our ‘President Trump’ Joke Was a Warning

By
Claire Groden
Claire Groden
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By
Claire Groden
Claire Groden
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March 18, 2016, 5:13 PM ET
THE SIMPSONS: The Simpsons get more than they bargained for when they replace their old couch with a new one in the all-new "Pulpit Friction" episode of THE SIMPSONS airing Sunday, April 28 (8:00-8:30 PM ET/PT) on FOX. THE SIMPSONS ™ and © 2013 TCFFC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Courtesy of FOX BROADCASTING via Getty Images

It turns out The Simpsons is more than a parody cartoon—sometimes, it’s prophetic.

Sixteen-years-ago, the show’s writers sent Bart Simpson to see a glimpse of his family’s future. While future Bart ended up being a slobby failed musician, his sister Lisa enjoyed a slightly better fate as the “first straight female” president—dealing with a disaster after a certain President Trump left the country broke.

At the time, Donald Trump was far outside the realm of politics. The real estate mogul was still four years away from cementing his celebrity status with the reality TV show “The Apprentice.”

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, episode writer Dan Greaney said that the reference was a “warning to America.” Trump “just seemed like the logical last stop before hitting bottom. It was pitched because it was consistent with the vision of America going insane.”

He continued, “The Simpsons has always kind of embraced the over the top side of American culture … and [Trump] is just the fulfillment of that.”

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