Fans Claim 'The Simpsons' Eerily Predicted Donald Trump’s Dog-Eating Comment Years Ago

Fans of The Simpsons were having a field day on social media after Donald Trump made an odd claim during a presidential debate, with many of them saying the long-running cartoon show predicted Trump's statement years ago. During a debate with Kamala Harris, Trump claimed, "In Springfield, they're eating the dogs. The people that came in. They're eating the cats. They're eating the pets of the people that live there." Given that The Simpsons is set in a fictional town called Springfield. Fans know the show has a reputation for seemingly predicting real-world events. So when Trump mentioned Springfield and eating dogs, it sparked a flood of Simpsons memes and jokes online.

One Simpsons fan wrote on social media: "Donald Trump thinks he's living in The Simpsons..." Another posted a picture of the Simpson family's dog, Santa's Little Helper, with the caption: "IN SPRINGFIELD THEY'RE EATING THE DOGS". Some fans shared clips from old Simpsons episodes that seemed to match Trump's claim. In one episode, Homer drinks a beer made with dogs. Referencing it, someone said, "Needs more dog."

This clip spread quickly online as people joked about Trump's statement. Political scientist Ian Bremmer joined in, posting on X (formerly Twitter): "Could be a Simpsons episode." Hank Azaria who voiced Apu on The Simpsons, even jumped in on the fun; he posted a video acting like Police Chief Wiggum from the show and had a funny reaction to Trump’s claim, as per Toronto Sun.

Circling back to the debate, David Muir, who was the moderator, fact-checked Trump's statement right away with Springfield's city manager. The manager told him there were no real reports of immigrants hurting pets. But Trump didn't back down and said, "People on television say, 'My dog was taken and used for food' so maybe he said that and maybe that's a good thing to say for a city manager." 

It turns out Trump was repeating a rumor started by his running mate, JD Vance. Vance had claimed that Haitian immigrants in Ohio were taking and eating people's pets. But there's no proof this is true. Springfield's mayor, Rob Rue, said the city has no cases of immigrants eating pets. The White House called Trump's claim a dangerous conspiracy theory that could lead to violence against immigrants. After all, immigration is a big topic in the presidential race. A recent poll found that 22% of voters think immigration and border issues are the most important problems facing the country, as per the Daily Mail.

City officials say up to 20,000 immigrants have made Springfield their new home. This has helped grow the city's population after years of decline. Moreover, Trump's comment about eating dogs and cats became one of the most talked-about moments from the debate. It sparked serious concerns about spreading false information.