EXCLUSIVE: Donald Trump's Eclipse Fail Resurfaces as Rare Solar Event Approaches
Donald Trump's eclipse fail resurfaced as a rare solar event approached.
Aug. 12 2026, Published 1:04 p.m. ET
Donald Trump has found one of the most memorable moments of his first presidency back in the spotlight – his infamous decision to stare toward a solar eclipse without protective glasses – as millions prepare for a spectacular repeat of the celestial phenomenon across Europe on Wednesday.
As RadarOnline.com reported at the time, Trump, 80, was photographed looking toward the sun from the White House during the August 2017 eclipse, despite warnings directly viewing it could cause serious eye damage.
Donald Trump stared directly at a solar eclipse in 2017.
Trump Eclipse Photos Resurface As New Spectacle Sweeps Europe
The famous Trump eclipse photographs resurfaced during a new European eclipse.
Nine years later, the footage and photographs have resurfaced as a total eclipse is today set to sweep across parts of Spain, Portugal, Greenland and Iceland, while Britain and other areas of western Europe experience a deep partial eclipse.
A political source familiar with the renewed attention around the episode told Radar in an exclusive interview: "It is one of those Trump moments that people never really forgot. With another major eclipse arriving, the pictures were inevitably going to come back – particularly because the basic safety message today is exactly the same as it was then.
"They are going viral all over again as the world awaits the new eclipse."
During the 2017 event, Trump appeared on the White House balcony alongside Melania Trump, 56, and their son Barron Trump, 20.
Before putting on protective eclipse glasses, Trump tilted his head toward the sky and pointed upward.
A White House aide immediately shouted: "Don't look."
Trump subsequently put on protective glasses and continued watching the eclipse with his family.
Another source told us: "That footage is so enduring. Everyone had been told not to look directly at the sun, and then the president appeared outside and did precisely what people had been warned against doing. It literally shows what a moron he is."
Eclipse Warning Goes Viral Again
Millions prepared to observe a total eclipse across parts of Europe.
The images have gained fresh relevance because experts are again stressing viewers must never look directly at the sun during Wednesday's eclipse. Ordinary sunglasses do not provide sufficient protection, with specialist eclipse glasses or indirect projection methods recommended instead.
Britain will not experience eclipse "totality," but viewers across the world are expected to see one of the deepest partial eclipses in decades.
In London, the eclipse begins at 6:17pm BST, reaches its maximum at about 7:12pm and ends at 8:06pm.
Around 90% of the sun will be covered from the capital, rising to roughly 95% in Cornwall.
The eclipse will occur low in the western sky shortly before sunset, meaning observers are advised to find an unobstructed view of the western horizon.
Britain Braces For Deep Eclipse
The Perseid meteor shower peaked alongside the solar event.
The path of totality crosses Greenland and Iceland before reaching Spain and Portugal, where the sun will be completely hidden for observers positioned within the narrow path.
The spectacle comes during a particularly busy period for skywatchers.
The Perseid meteor shower is also expected to peak overnight on August 12-13, while a partial lunar eclipse will be visible from Britain before dawn on August 28.
For Trump, however, today's eclipse has revived a rather more terrestrial piece of history – the moment an aide's simple warning of "Don't look" arrived just after the president had already looked.
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Trump's Eclipse Moment Returns
Trump returned to the White House for a second presidential term.
Trump's second term in office has been dominated by controversy over an aggressive expansion of presidential power.
Since returning to the White House in January 2025, the Republican has aggressively pursued mass deportations and attempted to restrict birthright citizenship – triggering repeated court battles.
His sweeping tariff program sparked economic and legal turmoil, with the Supreme Court curbing his use of emergency powers to impose broad levies.
His administration's immigration crackdown, use of federal forces, and efforts to reshape government agencies have also prompted fierce opposition, while Trump's executive actions have repeatedly tested the boundaries of presidential authority.
