The Simpsons writer who “predicted” Donald Trump’s presidency has announced his own run for The White House in the 2028 US election.
Dan Greaney has written a number of episodes for the beloved animation, most notably Bart To The Future, a story which imagines Lisa as President of the United States. One gag shows her addressing her advisors, saying: “As you know we’ve inherited quite the budget crunch from President Trump”, before revealing that the country is broke after his term in office.
The episode aired in 2000, leading some (including CNN) to point to the story as having “predicted” his election 16 years later. At the time, Greaney said the suggestion of the then-businessman and reality star as President was a “warning”, but as Trump continues his second term, the writer is now looking to follow in his footsteps.
In an announcement video, he dressed as a wizard and described himself as a “self-proclaimed prophet”, before outlining what he sees as America’s political problems. “Trump, Vance, the billionaires, careerists, and cowards in both parties have turned their backs on [the United States],” he said. “It’s money, power, and security for them, but not for you.”
He continued: “In America, the government is supposed to work for everyone. Democracy for all, accountability for all, prosperity for all. We must restore this. I’d love to help, but I’m not a lawyer. I’m just a self-proclaimed prophet… who went to law school, graduated, passed the bar… Wait! I am a lawyer!”
He then pulls the wizard costume off to reveal himself in a suit, outlining his platform as “America for all”. The announcement makes him one of the first people to announce their bid for the 2028 American election, which takes place on November 7, 2028. Under current law, Trump cannot run for a third term, as no President is allowed to serve more than two terms in office.
The Simpsons has often been credited with “predicting” the future, given that several gags or storylines have later come to pass in real life, such as the acquisition of 20th Century Fox by Disney, and autocorrect on mobile devices.
Speaking about the phenomena last year, the show’s creator Matt Groening downplayed the significance, saying: “I think that comes from having done so many episodes that we’re bound to get something right.”