The internet has had fun with images of the US president looking up at the sky during the eclipse without glasses, in defiance of repeated health warnings

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

The internet has made hay with images of the US president looking up at the sky during the solar eclipse without glasses, despite repeated warnings that doing so can lead to permanent eye damage.

Donald Trump was filmed on the balcony of the White House, standing with his wife Melania Trump and his son Barron. Before donning special eclipse glasses he squinted up at the sky and pointed. An aide was apparently heard off camera shouting “Don’t look!”.

Ted Mann (@TMannWSJ) As he did this, someone in a crowd of aides below shouted "Don't look." pic.twitter.com/dtfSLEzcAZ

But it was too late, the moment of misjudgement was captured and quickly shared online. Naturally it made it onto the front page of the New York Daily News.

Steve Herman (@W7VOA) For those who weren't blinded by #Eclipse2017 we have an early look at tomorrow's @NYDailyNews front page. pic.twitter.com/3SvN7D8Itd

On Twitter, the jokes were abundant.

David Schneider (@davidschneider) Scientists: Climate change is real.

Trump: Climate change is a hoax!

Scientists: Don't look at the sun during #SolarEclispe2017

Trump: pic.twitter.com/uvGSsyJEUo

oneyun da prophet (@oneyun) i want someone to look at me the way Trump looks at the eclipse pic.twitter.com/15pfqYpkFy

Quinn Sutherland (@ReelQuinn) “The big yellow one’s the sun!” pic.twitter.com/pVzKgNpAQY

Josh Billinson (@jbillinson) In this moment, he became president pic.twitter.com/mQNrG7LlsP

Dan Worthington (@danWorthington) Scientists: Don't look straight at sun during eclipse.

Trump: Hold my glasses. pic.twitter.com/3MySTJYq4d

Patrick Tucker (@DefTechPat) You're fake news. pic.twitter.com/qa6cO2M4Ld

Adam Moussa (@adamjmoussa) can't see your approval rating if you can't see at all pic.twitter.com/UPPLeseFBR

However, not everyone was laughing. Fox news anchor Tucker Carlson was impressed by Trump’s actions, saying that it was “perhaps the most impressive thing any president has ever done.”