Trump takes in eclipse from White House

by Jordan Fabian - 08/21/17 3:20 PM ET

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump viewed Monday’s once-in-a-generation solar eclipse from the White House.

The couple stood with their son, Barron, on the Blue Room Balcony — while wearing special protective glasses — to take in the eclipse as it made its way through the Washington area.

{mosads}Trump took off the glasses momentarily, gestured to a large crowd of aides standing below on the South Lawn, looked up and pointed to the sky. One of the staffers shouted “don’t look.”

A couple of minutes later, Trump, with his glasses back on, turned his head upward and watched the eclipse for around a minute and a half as the eclipse reached its apex.

When a reporter asked him “how’s the view,” the president gestured back with a thumbs up.

The president was joined by a number of top officials, including Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, trade representative Robert Lighthizer, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, communications director Hope Hicks and daughter Ivanka Trump.

On Twitter, all anyone wanted to do for a few moments was talk about Trump looking directly into the eclipse without protective glasses.

He did it. pic.twitter.com/a7tHOcyEVy

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) August 21, 2017

WASHINGTON, August 21, 2017 — President Donald Trump looks directly into the solar eclipse. pic.twitter.com/UedUycAO4o

— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) August 21, 2017

No glasses? (Pool video) pic.twitter.com/FKfBGuQOjR

— West Wing Reports (@WestWingReport) August 21, 2017

From the White House pool report: an aide shouted “don’t look” as Trump pointed to the sky pic.twitter.com/6Sq4ZCHKZs

— Hunter Schwarz (@hunterschwarz) August 21, 2017

Tags Donald Trump Jeff Sessions Robert Lighthizer Wilbur Ross