President Joe Biden took a subtle jab at former President Donald Trump on Monday by releasing a video in which he called on Americans to wear eye protection while viewing the solar eclipse.
The video, shared to the president’s account on X, shows Biden viewing the sun with protective eyewear from a balcony at the White House. The location is exactly where Trump stood when he stared directly at a solar eclipse without eye protection in August 2017.
“An eclipse is worth marveling at,” Biden’s account said. “But don’t be silly, folks – play it safe and wear protective eyewear.”
The post, which has already been viewed over one million times, quickly divided the internet.
Critics of Trump immediately applauded the gag, causing the footage of Trump looking directly at the sun to go viral once again.
“Silly would be looking up at the sun without protective eyewear,” one user wrote above a GIF of Trump. “Only an idiot would do that. #BidenHarris2024.
Some argued that the post was a perfect example of “Dark Brandon,” the president’s sly alter-ego.
“Dark Brandon dragging Donald Trump is what I live for,” one user replied.
“Thanks for not staring into the sun like the former one term loser,” another added.
But Trump supporters viewed the post as petty and juvenile, spurring them to lash out at the current president.
“Our border is wide open and you are posting about an eclipse…” a pro-Trump user responded. “No wonder you are despised by so many.”
Many of Biden’s fans also wondered whether Trump supporters would stare at the sun out of spite for Democrats.
“How many idiots are going to blind themselves because they’re gonna do the opposite of Biden’s message?” another said.
A congresswoman from Texas even went as far as to encourage her constituents not to imitate Trump during the eclipse.
“Hey North Texas – I don’t want to hear about a single one of y’all pulling a Trump and staring at the eclipse unprotected!” Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) wrote.
Some Trump fans, however, used the video to suggest that Biden was actually inferior for shielding his eyes. Trump, they argued, could look at the sun and withstand its blinding rays.
“Pussy,” the popular internet personality Count Dankula said in response to Biden’s post.
“The Virgin ‘protective eyewear’ vs the Chad ‘No Glasses Eclipse Gazer,'” another user quipped.
Aside from memes and mockery, the solar eclipse also spawned countless conspiracy theories. Yet with nearly every other major celestial event, the eclipse will undoubtedly end uneventfully.
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