The Simpsons predicted a Donald Trump presidency 16 years ago

Donald Trump has defied the odds and been elected the 45th president of the United States, but 'The Simpsons' correctly predicted his ascension to power 16 years ago. 

In the episode, called "Bart to the Future," Lisa has been elected as his successor and quips: "'We've inherited quite a budget crunch from President Trump."

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter,writer Dan Greaney called the episode "a warning to America."

"That just seemed like the logical last stop before hitting bottom," he said. "It was pitched because it was consistent with the vision of America going insane."

'The Simpsons' creator, Matt Groening, said in an interview with The Guardian: "Trump was, of course, the most absurd placeholder joke name that we could think of at the time, and that's still true. It's beyond satire."

In the run-up to the election, The Simpsons released a number of animated attacks against Trump, one of which saw him lying in bed next to a book of Hitler speeches. 

After a tumultuous campaign, Donald Trump finished the race to the White House with a 0.8% lead over his democratic rival Hillary Clinton. 

Watch Lisa Simpson reference Donald Trump's presidency at 0:29 in the clip below: