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.

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