Donald Trump stared at the solar eclipse today without any protective glasses, sending Twitter into a storm.
The solar eclipse plunged the US into darkness today as a 70-mile wide and 2,500-mile long “path of totality” swept across 14 States and somehow Trump still managed to cause controversy.
Hitting Oregon at around 9am PDT it took 90 minutes to travel across the country before ending in South Carolina at 3pm EDT. The first total eclipse for 99 years, millions planned events, parties and made plans to mark their first experience of the phenonemon across the country.
The public had been warned not to look directly at the eclipse but instead to use special protective glasses. When did rules ever apply to POTUS though? Trump was spotted taking a peek at the sky as he watched from the White House with wife and FLOTUS Melania and son Brandon.
WASHINGTON, August 21, 2017 — President Donald Trump looks directly into the solar eclipse. pic.twitter.com/UedUycAO4o
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) August 21, 2017
Twitter didn’t miss it either:
When you think the Solar Eclipse is fake news pic.twitter.com/4HHiNM0mCk
— Shooter McGavin (@ShooterMcGavin_) August 21, 2017
And wasn’t impressed:
“President Donald Trump looked directly at a solar eclipse today” is objectively the stupidest sentence of all time
— Stefan Heck 💻🚽 (@boring_as_heck) August 21, 2017
How is this guy in charge? #Trump #SolarEclipse pic.twitter.com/Ts5yO1r0WD
— Daisy Kirkwood (@MWSWBlog) August 21, 2017
Literally everyone: please observe #SolarEclipse safely. do not stare into the sun directly, you WILL damage your eyes!!
Trump: pic.twitter.com/0TORBrdZpa
— abdul 🚀 (@Advil) August 21, 2017
I honestly didn’t think there could be a way Trump could embarrass us just by watching a solar eclipse.
Yet, here we are.
— Pé Resists (@4everNeverTrump) August 21, 2017
According to ABC News, someone even shouted “don’t look”:
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
Some claimed it was the perfect metaphor for his presidency:
This photo sums up the Trump Presidency
Everyone tells you not to stare at the #SolarEclipse but Trump doesn’t listen and does it anyways pic.twitter.com/MllaQ6WEdy
— Red T Raccoon (@RedTRaccoon) August 21, 2017
Trump did wear the glasses when the full force of the eclipse hit Washington D.C., as Fox News pointed out:
.@POTUS and @FLOTUS wear protective glasses as they view the #solareclipse at the @WhiteHouse. (AP Andrew Harnik) pic.twitter.com/7Xfvs7lIB5
— Fox News (@FoxNews) August 21, 2017