President Joe Biden delivered a national address on April 8, emphasizing the significance of eye safety during a solar eclipse. The address was broadcast on social media platform X and made an obvious reference to a past event involving former President Donald Trump.

Biden echoed the advice of eye care professionals, advocating for the use of protective eyewear while observing an eclipse. He delivered this message while wearing a pair of eclipse glasses and standing on the White House balcony, the same location where Trump was seen without protective eyewear during a partial solar eclipse in 2017.

“An eclipse is worth marveling at. But don’t be silly, folks – play it safe and wear protective eyewear,” Biden said during his address. This statement indirectly referenced the incident involving Trump, which had previously attracted substantial attention and criticism.

The incident occurred on August 21, 2017, when Trump, along with First Lady Melania and son Barron, and various White House staff, observed the solar eclipse from the presidential residence. Despite the unanimous advice from specialists against looking at the sun, even when partially obscured, Trump was seen looking directly upwards.

According to a White House pool report, Trump gestured upwards towards a group of employees assembled beneath the balcony. A White House assistant nearby promptly exclaimed, “Don’t look!”

Seven years later, this incident still serves as a humorous warning about the importance of proper eye protection during solar eclipses, especially with the eclipse’s path extending from Texas to Maine. Eye care specialists consistently warn that even brief exposure to the sun during an eclipse can cause lasting vision damage, hence the importance of using special eclipse glasses that offer much greater protection than regular sunglasses.

The White House supplemented Biden’s message with a written reminder about the awe-inspiring nature of an eclipse, reinforcing the need for safety precautions. This message appeared to serve a dual purpose: promoting eye safety and subtly critiquing Trump’s past disregard for safety guidelines.

Adding to the discourse, Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate defeated by Trump in the 2016 election, took the opportunity to poke fun at Trump’s misstep. She shared a reminder on social media platform X, featuring the infamous photo of Trump squinting 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 obscures the sun, extended from Texas to western New York. Biden was in Madison, Wisconsin, and Chicago, Illinois, on April 8, both locations west of the totality zone.