Categories: Elections

The Simpsons oracle: Has the cult show predicted next week’s presidential election?

UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 28: Vice President Kamala Harris, Democratic nominee for president, arrives to speak during a rally at Burns Park in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Monday, October 28, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

With the 2024 U.S. presidential election approaching, fans of The Simpsons wonder if the show has already hinted at the outcome. The long-running series, famous for its apparent ability to foresee future events, has intrigued viewers with several accurate “predictions,” from Donald Trump’s presidency to the rise of AI.

One episode, Bart to the Future, which aired in 2000, has resurfaced among fans who note potential parallels with current events. In the episode, Lisa Simpson becomes the first female president following a financially struggling presidency under Donald Trump. Many have pointed out the resemblance between Lisa’s purple suit and pearls as president and Kamala Harris’s iconic inauguration look, fueling theories that the show has foreseen a Harris win.

However, polling and expert forecasts remain inconclusive. The polling site 270toWin shows Harris holding a slim lead over Trump within the margin of error, while analyst Nate Silver has suggested the race is “too close to call.” Election forecaster Allan Lichtman, known for his consistent accuracy since 1984, maintains his prediction of a Harris win, based on his “13 keys” model. Political strategist James Carville echoes this outlook, citing GOP losses and Harris’s substantial fundraising edge.

As the election nears, these “predictions” have given fans and analysts alike much to speculate about, but only time will reveal the outcome.

Herbert Bauernebel

Herbert Bauernebel has been reporting from New York since 1999 and currently works for Bild.de, OE24 TV, and US Live. He also runs the news portal AmerikaReport.de. Bauernebel has covered nearly all major US events of the past quarter-century, including 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Barack Obama’s election, Donald Trump’s surprise victory, the pandemic, last year’s election showdown, as well as natural disasters such as hurricanes and oil spills. He has also reported firsthand on international events, including the Asian tsunami, the Haiti earthquake, and the Fukushima disaster. He lives in Brooklyn with his family and holds degrees in communication and political science from the University of Vienna. Bauernebel is the author of a book about his experiences on 9/11, And the Air Was Full of Ash: 9/11 – The Day That Changed My Life.