New Delhi: An Emmy winner, American television writer Dan John Greaney – known for his work on The Simpsons and The Office – is now running for president. His campaign pitch draws from his comedy writing: “I wrote the Simpsons joke that predicted Trump. Now, I am predicting an America for all.”
On May 26, 60-year-old Greaney announced his candidacy for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination. He made the announcement in an Instagram video. Wearing a flowing robe, with a grey beard and wig, he declared: “I am a self-styled prophet…Judgement Day is here.”
He then shed his prophet costume to reveal a suit, saying, “Screw it, I can be a politician. I am running for president. My platform: America for all.”
Greaney identifies as a progressive Republican. His Instagram bio reads: “Predicted Trump presidency on The Simpsons, now running for president as a progressive Republican in the tradition of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt.”
His claim to fame is the ‘Bart to Future’ episode of The Simpsons. In 2000, Greaney wrote an episode set 30 years in the future. It depicted Lisa as the US president, grappling with budget problems inherited from her predecessor, Donald Trump, who had previously occupied the Oval Office.
While The Simpsons is credited to a team of multiple writers, Greaney is known for his contributions from seasons 7 to 11.
Who is Dan John Greaney?
Greaney is a Harvard University graduate and is popular for his comedy writing in The Office, The Simpsons, and Borat. But before he set foot in the comedy writing world, he was also an attorney at Proskauer Rose Goetz and Mendelsohn, an international law firm.
In another Instagram video, he says, “Honestly, I had a lot of advantages. I grew up in a rich suburb, went to private school and then Harvard – twice. But despite my good fortune, I have always felt connected to all Americans.”
He then talks about his family. He says his father was a New Deal Democrat, a World War 2 veteran, and a doctor, and his mother was a nurse who “saw the shared humanity in everyone. Their values shaped me.” The video also features a photo of him joining the Writers Guild of America strike.
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Greaney’s website
He has also launched his website, in which he has written extensively about what prompted him to enter the presidential race.
“I am a 60-year-old comedy writer who was happy to leave the government to somebody else,” the website reads. He says that changed after 2016, after what he describes as the “culminating insanity of January 6”, referring to the January 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Even then, he remained determined to stay out of politics until he saw a particular photograph.
It was a photograph of Trump surrounded by tech billionaires and CEOs at his inauguration. “I was disgusted by the action. I realized nobody was going to save us, and that self-respect required me to at least try to do something,” he wrote.
He further says that he became popular for predicting Trump’s downfall in the Simpsons episode. He described the episode not as a prediction, but as an expression of his convictions and deepest values.
“Those values, love of country and of my fellow human beings, disgust at corruption and bullying, now lead me to announce my candidacy for the presidency,” the website reads.
(Edited by Maryam Hassan)