On April 8, President Joe Biden addressed the nation, using his platform to remind people of the importance of safely observing the solar eclipse. His announcement was made through a video shared on the social media platform X.
During this announcement, Biden indirectly referred to an incident from 2017 involving former President Donald Trump. Biden stressed the necessity of wearing protective eyewear while viewing the eclipse, a sentiment that aligns with the advice given by eye care professionals.
“An eclipse is worth marveling at. But don’t be silly, folks – play it safe and wear protective eyewear,” Biden said, putting on a pair of eclipse glasses, from the same White House balcony where Trump was seen observing a partial solar eclipse in 2017 without any eye protection. This incident had previously sparked widespread attention and criticism.
On August 21, 2017, Trump, along with First Lady Melania and their son Barron, along with other cabinet members and White House staff, stepped outside to watch the notable astronomical event. Despite warnings from experts not to look directly at the sun, even when it’s partially obscured, Trump looked directly up.
According to a report from the White House pool, Trump initially gestured upwards to a group of administrative employees gathered under the balcony. A White House assistant nearby then shouted, “Don’t look!”
Seven years later, this incident has been widely shared and laughed at on social media platforms. As the solar eclipse passed over several states from Texas to Maine, the former president’s actions served as a humorous reminder of the importance of appropriate eye protection.
Eye care professionals have consistently warned that even brief exposure to the sun during an eclipse without the right protection can cause permanent vision damage. They recommend using special eclipse glasses, which offer much more protection than typical sunglasses, for safely watching these astronomical events.
The White House supported Biden’s video by issuing a written reminder about the beauty and wonder of an eclipse, while reinforcing the need for safety during observation.
The message seemed to serve two purposes: promoting eye safety during eclipses and subtly referencing Trump’s previous dismissal of safety guidelines.
Hillary Clinton, who was defeated by Trump in the 2016 presidential election, also took the opportunity to humorously caution against Trump’s behavior, sharing a reminder on X along with the well-known photo of Trump looking at the sun. “Please do not take medical advice from a man who looked directly at a solar eclipse,” she said.
The path of totality, where the moon completely blocks out the sun, stretched from Texas to western New York. On April 8, Biden was in Madison, Wisconsin, and Chicago, Illinois, both cities located west of the totality zone.
