Stared Directly at a Solar Eclipse
During a solar eclipse viewed from the White House, Trump looked directly at the sun without protective eyewear, ignoring an aide who shouted "Don't look!" — despite NASA warnings that it can cause permanent eye damage.
On August 21, 2017, during a solar eclipse visible from the White House, Trump stepped onto the Truman Balcony and looked directly at the sun without protective eyewear. An aide can be heard shouting "Don't look!" which Trump initially ignored before eventually putting on eclipse glasses.
NASA, the American Astronomical Society, and every relevant scientific authority had widely publicized warnings that looking directly at the sun — even during an eclipse — can cause permanent retinal damage (solar retinopathy).
While this incident is relatively minor compared to Trump's policy failures and lies, the widely photographed moment became one of the most enduring images of his presidency — a visual metaphor for his refusal to listen to experts and his certainty that he knows better than everyone, including NASA scientists warning about basic physics.