Hindsight is 20/20, and looking into the rear-view mirror, we probably should have known Donald Trump would be elected president — and not just because Michael Moore said so. For one thing, The Simpsons predicted it, and we know how often the long-running animated series is right on the nose with its predictions. Not to mention that Trump was the inspiration for Biff Tannen in Back to the Future Part II, and while he may not technically be president in the film he is an ominous, looming presence in a dystopian society.
But apparently, Trump predictions go back even further than that! Way further. An episode of an old western television series called Trackdown that aired on CBS in 1958 has surfaced in a recently updated Snopes article, which featured a “snake oil salesman” character named Trump — Walter Trump, not Donald — who wanted to build a wall around the town to save it from the end of the world.
Presented without commentary, here is the episode description via Classic TV Archive:
Walter Trump, a confidence man, puts on a long robe and holds a tent meeting in the town of Talpa. He tells the townspeople that a cosmic explosion will rain fire on the town and that he is the only one that can save them from death. Ranger Hoby Gilman attempts to prove Trump is a fraud.
Long robe; oversized, ill-fitting suit… It’s practically the same thing. Oh, but it gets even nuttier from there, because take a gander at this relevant transcribed bit of dialogue from the episode.
Narrator: The people were ready to believe. Like sheep they ran to the slaughterhouse. And waiting for them was the high priest of fraud.
Trump: I am the only one. Trust me. I can build a wall around your homes that nothing can penetrate.
Townperson: What do we do? How can we save ourselves?
Trump: You ask how do you build that wall. You ask, and I’m here to tell you.
Welp, there you have it. If this was somehow a glimpse into the future however, it should be noted that the character of Walter Trump was arrested for stealing at the end of the episode. You can watch a short clip from the episode below.
(Snopes via Parker Malloy)