'Spin' Put a Donald Trump Presidential Nomination on a List of Worst-Case Scenarios in '88

Impact

Even after Donald Trump announced his bid for president over a year ago, the notion that the billionaire business would manage to clinch the Republican party's nomination seemed not just unlikely but laughable. And nearly 30 years ago — impossible.

On Monday, Twitter user Andrew Otis Weiss found a hidden gem in a July 1988 edition of Spin, including a possible Trump presidency on a bulleted list of unfortunate incidents that would constitute a "dog day afternoon." Sandwiched between "Kids at Disney World point to you and scream, 'Look, it's Goofy'" and "Hurricane Gomer arrives the day of the big nude volleyball finals" lies "Donald Trump snares Republican presidential nomination." 

In 1988, the idea was such a far stretch, a Trump nomination was understood to be on the same level as "Your parents decide to drop over for the weekend" and "Spring semester grades arrive." 

In other words: a major bummer, but mostly NBD. 

In July, another Twitter user drew attention to an excerpt from science fiction writer Octavia Butler's Parable of the Talents, where she seems to predict Trump's campaign slogan. Set in 2032, the novel details a crumbling U.S. where, amid the chaos, a character named Jarret exclaims, "Help us to make America great again!"

The Simpsons made a similar prophecy in the 2000 "Bart to the Future" episode when Lisa, the first female president, laments the economical ruin she inherited from her predecessor — Trump.

"The Simpsons has always kind of embraced the over-the-top side of American culture," writer Dan Greaney told the Hollywood Reporter in March, "and [Trump] is just the fulfillment of that."

He added, "It was a warning to America."

Now that Trump has become the official GOP nominee, we'll consider ourselves warned.

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