Is Kamala Harris going to be president? 'The Simpsons' writer reacts to viral 'prediction'
"The Simpsons" fans love a show "prediction," and the latest theory surrounds Vice President Kamala Harris' future in office.
President Joe Biden announced Sunday that he is ending his bid for reelection amid intense pressure from Democratic leaders, who had been sounding the alarm that his path to beat former President Donald Trump in November had vanished.
Biden quickly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee in a separate statement on X. Harris responded that she was honored to have Biden's endorsement and that her "intention is to earn and win this nomination."
.@TheSimpsons “prediction” I’m proud to be a part of. pic.twitter.com/ZvkqotRpsn
— Al Jean (@AlJean) July 21, 2024
Following the historic bombshell, longtime writer and showrunner for "The Simpsons" Al Jean posted a viral side-by-side photo of the animated character Lisa from the Season 11 episode "Bart to the Future" when she became president, and Harris in 2021 when she was sworn in as the first female vice president of the United States.
"@TheSimpsons 'prediction' I’m proud to be a part of," Jean wrote on X Sunday.
The comparison made rounds in 2021 because Lisa's outfit in the episode features her in pearl earrings, a pearl necklace and a purple blazer — just like Harris wore during Biden's inauguration.
Fans of "The Simpsons" have long thought the show has predicted future historic events, including Trump's 2016 election, the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and Queen Elizabeth II's death.
Celebrities back Kamala Harris for president after Joe Biden drops reelection bid
The show's creators, though, have refuted the idea that it can predict the future.
Bill Oakley, a former showrunner, said in a 2020 Reuters interview, "I would say in general when people say 'The Simpsons' has predicted something, it is just that we were satirizing real-life events from years before, and because history keeps repeating, it just seems like we were predicting things."
Contributing: Chris Mueller, USA TODAY Fact Check; USA TODAY Politics
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'The Simpsons' writer reacts to viral Kamala presidency 'prediction'