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.

>> Read more trending news

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.

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:

About the Author

Featured

Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

Credit: NYT