No, 'The Simpsons' did not make prediction about Trump shooting | Fact check
The claim: 'The Simpsons' predicted Trump would be assassinated
A July 13 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a screenshot of a post on X, formerly Twitter, that includes two images of an animated version of former President Donald Trump. One image shows him behind a lectern while the other shows him lying in a casket with his eyes closed.
"This is the first time I've seen a Simpsons prediction fail," reads text above the images.
"Hitman gott be hired from Temu," reads additional text below the images, referring to the discount shopping app.
The Facebook post was shared more than 15,000 times in two days. The X post was reposted more than 33,000 times in that same time.
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Our rating: False
"The Simpsons" didn't predict Trump would be assassinated. A cartoon image of Trump in a casket has circulated online for years but has never appeared on the show.
Image of Trump in coffin has not appeared on 'The Simpsons'
Trump survived an assassination attempt July 13 when a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania campaign rally, injuring Trump's right ear, killing a spectator and seriously injuring two others, as USA TODAY previously reported. The shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, was killed by Secret Service agents.
Like many past high-profile events, this spurred claims of an animated precursor, but the animated sitcom "The Simpsons" never predicted Trump's would-be assassination.
The image on the left, which shows Trump standing at a podium, is from "Trumptastic Voyage," a short released straight to YouTube in 2015, about a month after Trump first announced his candidacy for president. Homer becomes transfixed by Trump's hair, which suddenly comes to life, then reaches out and grabs him. There is no mention of assassination, attempted or otherwise, in the short.
The image on the right, which shows Trump in a casket, has never appeared in the show, though it has been online since at least 2017. It also circulated in 2020 following Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis.
Matt Selman, an executive producer and showrunner for “The Simpsons,” told USA TODAY, “The images of Donald Trump’s assassination and death circulating online never appeared on The Simpsons. They are doctored fakes created after the fact for the purpose of misleading people."
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There have been numerous instances of people falsely claiming "The Simpsons" predicted certain events, including the Francis Scott Key bridge crash, the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, the monkeypox outbreak and the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
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."
While the post mentions a "hitman," investigators at this time believe Crooks acted alone, though they're still seeking a specific motive for the attack against Trump, Kevin Rojek, a special agent in charge of the FBI's Pittsburgh field office, previously told USA TODAY.
USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Our fact-check sources:
Matt Selman, July 16, Email exchange with USA TODAY
AniDom (YouTube), July 7, 2015, Trumptastic Voyage | Season 25 | The Simpsons
Esquire, July 8, 2015, The Simpsons Banged Out a Brilliant Donald Trump Parody
The Washington Post, July 8, 2015, Video of the day: ‘The Simpsons’ lampoons Donald Trump in this hair-raising trip
Canal 44, Feb. 4, 2017, Alleged image of Donald Trump's death in The Simpsons leaked (VIDEO)
USA TODAY, July 14, Trump rally shooter Thomas Crooks appears to have acted alone, used 'AR-style 556' rifle: FBI
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Image of cartoon Trump in casket not from 'The Simpons' | Fact check
