WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump ignored the advice of optometrists and scientists nationwide Monday when he squinted to look up at the sun during the 2017 solar eclipse.
The president and first lady Melania Trump took in the eclipse with their son, Barron, on the White House’s Truman Balcony.
The trio wore protective glasses, though Trump took his pair off long enough to squint up at the sky.
"Don't look," a staffer shouted as Trump grimaced, pointing toward the sun above, The Hill reported.
Someone shouts "don't look" as Pres. Trump looks up without eclipse glasses on as solar eclipse passes over D.C. https://t.co/5ft70fm30R pic.twitter.com/0lAkuzF9RZ
— ABC News (@ABC) August 21, 2017
NASA officials and doctors warned people in the run-up to Monday’s eclipse to wear certified eclipse-viewing glasses or to take other safety precautions. Those who viewed the eclipse without glasses ran the risk of damaging their vision, including possible blindness.
Although Trump only looked at the sun protection-free for a short period of time, it didn’t slip past social media users, who quickly shared their incredulity at the president’s decision.
Most Stunning Moments From The Total Eclipse
See updates from the solar eclipse, as they happened:
Cox Media Group
