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'The Simpsons' 2000 Trump Presidency Prediction: 'A Warning To America'

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

It seems "The Simpsons" beat all of us, even Ron Elving, to the idea of a Trump candidacy. They did it 16 years ago today, March 19, 2000, in an episode called "Bart To The Future." Bart Simpson is shown a glimpse of the world in 30 years, a world in which his sister Lisa is president.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE SIMPSONS")

YEARDLEY SMITH: (As Lisa Simpson) Excellent question. Yes, I am proud to be America's first straight female president. As you know, we've inherited quite a budget crunch from President Trump. How bad is it, Secretary Van Houten (ph)?

PAMELA HAYDEN: (As Milhouse Van Houten) We're broke.

SMITH: (As Lisa Simpson)The country is broke? How can that be?

BLOCK: "Simpsons" writer Dan Greaney spoke with The Hollywood Reporter this week about his foresight. He said it was a warning to America. It just seemed like the logical last stop before hitting bottom. But, as Greaney explained, it was less a slam on Donald Trump than a nice confluence between the man and the show. He says "The Simpsons" always embraced the over-the-top side of American culture. And according to Dan Greaney and "The Simpsons," Donald Trump is just the fulfillment of that. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.