The Simpsons is known for its uncanny ability to foresee future events, from Donald Trump‘s presidency to Disney’s purchase of Fox. But did the yellow oracles anticipate the assassination attempt on Trump?
On July 13, 2024, during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt that left him with a minor ear injury. As the news broke, social media erupted with claims that The Simpsons had once again predicted the future. Social media users, both pro and against the Republican politician, have shared images from a supposed episode where we can see the series’ version of the Orange Man in a coffin.
Republican voters were impressed about the show’s accuracy, while Democrat-aligned people claimed Trump had managed to do the unthinkable: Prove The Simpsons wrong. After all, in real life, the former President survived the attack. That would be a sight to be seen, as Trump would break a decade-long pattern and “alter the timeline,” as some people joked.
Reality is often disappointing. Regarding Trump’s canon-breaking ability, the whole thing is nothing but a rumor.
Did Donald Trump break The Simpsons’ crystal ball?
The Simpsons images circulating with claims the show has predicted the attack on the former President is not official. There hasn’t been an episode in which Trump is shot at, nor an episode in which we can see his funeral. The scene of Trump’s funeral was a fan creation originally published in 4Chan in 2017. Since then, the images have frequently resurfaced in moments of intense political tension.
The original rumor mixes scenes from an actual 2015 episode titled “Bart to The Future,” in which Bart realizes he can predict the future with astonishing accuracy. Some people were convinced the episode revolved around a politician who was supposed to be Donald Trump, even though the animated character looks nothing like the Orange Man. In the attempt to find meaning where there is none, people claimed that the word “FIE” in the episode would indicate a date if reverted. According to this reading, “FIE” would represent “313,” or March 13, 2023.
Until 2023, the rumor circulated occasionally as new reaction videos and fan art added new layers of conspiracy to the preposterous theory. We all hoped the whole thing would disappear once the promised day came, and nothing eventful happened. However, now that a Republican-affiliate shooter has attacked Trump, people have attached a fake synopsis to the random images, describing an episode that never actually existed.
There you have it. The Simpsons remain unbeatable, and not even Trump has broken the series’ record for most real events correctly predicted.