Has 'The Simpsons' Already Predicted Who Will Win This Election? Some Fans Certainly Think So

For decades, The Simpsons has been known to eerily ‘predict’ major events, from the first presidency of Donald Trump to the rise of smartwatches, and now fans are buzzing with excitement over yet another apparent prediction. This time, viewers believe that the show may have foreseen the outcome of the recent U.S. presidential election—and many think Kamala Harris will be the winner, thanks to the comedy show. In recent days, fans have been digging through past episodes, analyzing every frame, quote, and storyline, and now, some think they have found a clip that hints at the election outcome. 

As per Indy 100, the 17th episode from season 11, titled Bart to the Future, revolves around Trump's path to the White House. However, in the course of the episode, it turns out that Lisa actually takes over after Trump, even saying in the episode, "As you know, we’ve inherited quite a budget crunch from President Trump." Furthermore, Lisa is wearing a purple suit in the episode, much like one of Harris' outfits. Naturally, the scene in question was widely circulated on social media and led to many discussions owing to the eerily similar political landscape as today. 

Entrepreneur and actor Jeff Berwick posted on X, "The Simpsons has done it again! Here's from the 17th episode of the 11th season (in the year 2000) showing Lisa Simpson as the first female president of the United States talking about how the country is broke after President Trump. And, here's Kamala wearing the same outfit at Biden's inauguration." Similarly, someone else wrote, "...It’s over. Welcome the first Female President of The United States of America." 

Naturally, with social media in a frenzy, the buck didn't stop there. One user commented, “I’m not saying The Simpsons predicts everything, but they’re definitely onto something.” One X user said, "That's crazy... I forgot that in this episode, Lisa is going up against Trump. In his second attempt... So many things with this are aligning it's really freaky. Another person wished, "If The Simpsons ever really predicted the future, let it be this time." However, some netizens pointed out that Lisa immediately succeeded Trump, which would mean the so-called prediction about Harris winning does not line up exactly with the current political scenario (given that Joe Biden took over after Trump, not Harris).

The show's political foresight first gained popularity after The Simpsons was credited with ‘predicting’ Trump’s 2016 election in an episode from 2000. A case in point: a user on X pointed out that "not only did the Simpson predict Trump winning, they even "predicted" the electoral map and they got it right."

However, many skeptics have also noted that despite The Simpsons's legacy, most of the famed 'predictions' are either coincidental gags or reflections of human nature rather than some magical power bestowed upon the writers. Many have pointed out that the writers have merely paid attention to major world events and pop culture news for their own stories, and history often tends to repeat itself. 

Besides, outside of the show, some experts, like Professor Allan Lichtman, use science-based models to predict election outcomes. As per Daily Mail, Lichtman, a historian and political analyst, developed a system known as the "13 Keys to the White House." Unlike traditional polls, Lichtmans’s model doesn’t focus on public opinion; instead, it factors in 13 historical indicators, including economic conditions, social unrest, and the party in power’s overall performance. This unorthodox approach has enabled him to correctly predict numerous presidential elections, including the controversial 2016 race and the 2020 election. So, with the election underway and everyone eagerly (or nervously) waiting for the final results, the question on everyone's mind is this: will it be just a coincidence, or will The Simpsons have done it once again?