Dan Greaney, a writer and producer on “The Simpsons,” wants to be the next president as a “progressive” Republican.
The TV talent who predicted the Trump presidency back in 2000 said he “wasn’t thrilled” that his episode for “The Simpsons” in which President Trump would “run the country into a ditch” had come true.
“But there wasn’t much I could do about it,” he said.
Now Mr. Greaney says he’s a candidate for the 2028 Republican Party nomination to succeed Mr. Trump because he “saw our leaders bowing down” and “thought somebody needed to stand up.”
People are “going to vote for somebody who promises them everything, who will say anything to get the job, is completely shameless,” he said in an Aug. 14 interview with USA Today, referring to Mr. Trump.
Because of Mr. Greaney’s “sort of claim to see the future,” he said he bought a prophet costume and predicted Mr. Trump’s fall.
“And that felt good. It felt better to be fighting to save America than hoping somebody else would do it. So I decided to go all in and run for president,” he said.
Mr. Greaney said he will “pursue policies that reflect our shared values and needs,” including universal healthcare and the Green New Deal.
“To do this, I’m running as a progressive Republican in the tradition of Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt,” he said in his campaign announcement video. “And the lane isn’t exactly crowded.
“It’s a big swing, but I think it’s the way I can have the most impact. If we’re going to return to democracy, we need to restore the rule of law, starting with reforming the Supreme Court and insisting on accountability for Trump administration lawbreaking. If we don’t impose consequences now, we can look forward to it happening again.”
He asserts that because the Republican establishment has “empowered” the president, plus Democrats “failed to stand up to him or for us,” Mr. Greaney is “not leaving it in their hands.”
He added, “It’s a long shot, but I see a future where Trumpism has been defeated, polarization is moderated, and we create an America that works for all. And I have a pretty good track record on seeing the future.”
Mr. Greaney filed to run for office in April, according to Federal Election Commission records.
His campaign has raised almost $60,000, including donations from fellow writers and producers for “The Simpsons,” Eric Kaplan and Brian Scully.
