Fake image shared to claim The Simpsons predicted Trump assassination attempt

What is the claim? 

After the recent assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, social media users have been sharing an animated image depicting Trump lying in a casket with "R.I.P. Donald Trump 1946–2024" written on it. Several users claimed the image was from the American animated sitcom "The Simpsons."

One Instagram user posted the photo with the caption, “Did the Simpsons predict it again?😈😳#donaldtrump #trump #simpsons.” On X (formerly Twitter), a user shared the photo with the caption, "This is the first time I've seen a Simpsons prediction fail😭." At the time of writing, this photo has amassed over 26.8 million views and more than 39,800 likes.

Screenshots from similar claims. (Source: Instagram/X/Modified by Logically Facts)

 Archived versions of such posts can be found here, here, and here.

Social media users have often claimed that the popular American show has "predicted" several events by depicting scenes that eventually manifested in real life.

However, upon investigation, we found that the image is fake and that the television show did not air any episodes featuring Trump's death or assassination.

What are the facts?

Using a keyword search, we found a video uploaded by the Mexican YouTube channel 'badabun' (archived here) that featured a similar photograph of Trump.

The video, posted on February 4, 2017, was titled "The death of Donald Trump. The most chilling prediction from The Simpsons (translated from Spanish)." It discusses several predictions allegedly made by The Simpsons, including one depicting Trump lying in a casket. 

However, the photo used in the video did not display any inscriptions on the casket, unlike the one currently circulating. According to the video, the photograph was published on a chat forum of the anonymous English-language imageboard website 4chan.

The image of Trump in the casket without the inscription has repeatedly appeared on social media since 2017.

Did Trump make an appearance on the show?

The Simpsons has its own comprehensive wiki, Wikisimpsons, featuring over 45,000 articles covering characters, episodes, cast and crew, guest stars, and other show-related information. Trump has a dedicated page on the site, which notably does not depict him as deceased.

However, Trump is briefly mentioned in Season 11, Episode 17, "Bart to the Future," and makes a cameo in another episode of Season 28, imagined by Lisa Simpson. Additional references to Trump can be found on the Simpsons wiki, but none confirm his death.

In Season 19,  Episode 8, "Funeral for a Fiend," a funeral scene features Sideshow Bob, (archived here) in a casket, which bears a resemblance to a viral image.

 Screenshot from Season 19, Episode 8, ‘Funeral for a Fiend’ (Source: The Simpsons)

Logically Facts also contacted the showrunners of The Simpsons regarding the viral photograph. Matt Selman, an executive producer and showrunner, told us, "The images of Donald Trump's assassination / death never appeared on The Simpsons.  They are doctored fakes created to mislead people."

On July 13, 2024, Trump was injured during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, after being targeted by a shooter. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.

The Simpsons and its ‘predictions’

The Simpsons has often been cited in discussions about predictive programming, with claims that the show foreshadows future events. These claims range from predicting the COVID-19 pandemic to Trump's presidency. Recently, Logically Facts debunked claims that the show foresaw the collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge in March 2024.

Logically Facts has also delved into why such 'predictions' go viral and how sometimes digitally created images are shared as frames from the show.

The verdict 

A viral photo depicting Donald Trump in a casket with the inscription 'R.I.P. Donald Trump 1946-2024' is fake. The Simpsons has never aired such an episode, and the image has circulated online since at least 2017.

(Update: This story has been updated to reflect a response from the showrunners of The Simpsons.)