Donald Trump looked DIRECTLY at Sun during the Solar Eclipse. In a notable incident during the ‘Great American Eclipse’ of 2017, former US President Donald Trump defied safety guidelines by staring directly at the Sun without protective eyewear.
Donald Trump and Solar Eclipse: The Incident
During the eclipse, Trump, who was addressing a crowd, ignored advisories and pointed directly at the sky, prompting a White House aide to urgently caution him against looking at the Sun without proper eye protection.
The Guardian’s Ben Jacobs, who was covering the event live, wrote: “At approximately 2:39, the President initially gesticulated to the crowd below and pointed at the sky.”
“As he did so, one of the White House aides standing beneath the Blue Room Balcony shouted ‘don’t look’.”
Social Media Reaction
Trump’s disregard for safety protocols quickly became fodder for social media users, who flooded platforms with memes and comments mocking his actions.
Some humorously suggested that Trump’s penchant for seeking approval might have clouded his judgment, while others likened his behavior to ignoring scientific advice.
“You can’t see your approval rating if you can’t see at all,” a user on X, then Twitter, wrote.
Sports journalist Dan Worthington wrote: “Scientists: Don’t look straight at sun during eclipse. Trump: Hold my glasses.”
Personal Consequences
The consequences of such risky behavior were not limited to Trump alone.
Nia Payne, a young woman from Staten Island, New York, also succumbed to the temptation of gazing at the Sun during the eclipse, resulting in permanent damage to her retinas.
