The animated sitcom The Simpsons has once again been credited with seemingly predicting a major political event, this time the potential presidential run of US Vice President Kamala Harris.
Following President Joe Biden's announcement that he would not seek re-election and his endorsement of Harris as the Democratic nominee, social media users were quick to point out a similarity between Harris and Lisa Simpson, the show's fictional president.
In the 2000 episode "Bart to the Future", Lisa becomes President of the United States and is seen lamenting the budget crisis "President Trump" left behind that she now has to deal with.
The season 11 episode previously went viral in 2021 when Harris was sworn in as the first female vice president of the United States. Lisa is seen wearing a purple pantsuit and pearl necklace which are eerily similar to what Harris wore during the 2021 inauguration.
Now, the Simpsons writer Al Jean has responded to the latest "prediction" on social media, sharing an image of Lisa and Harris side by side."The Simpsons 'prediction' I'm proud to be a part of," Jean wrote.
This is not the first time The Simpsons has been credited with predicting major events. In 2021, the show was praised for its seemingly prescient depiction of the pro-Trump riots on Capitol Hill. The show has also been credited with predicting Trump's election as US President in 2016.
Writer Al Jean has attributed it to mere luck. “If you write 700 episodes and you don't predict anything, then you’re pretty bad. If you throw enough darts, you’re going to get some bullseyes,” Jean explained.
Whether it's sheer coincidence or something more mysterious, 'The Simpsons' with its eerie predictions continues to amaze fans and cement its place in pop culture history.
Biden, 81, stated in a tweet on Sunday afternoon, shortly after writing an open letter to fellow Americans about his decision not to run for re-election, that he is fully supporting Harris, his 59-year-old running mate.
“Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this,” Biden said in a post on X.
“My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made,” Biden said.
The president's decision comes four months before Americans go to the polls on November 5.