President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump both took the solar eclipse celestial event as a chance to share a message with the American people, offering very different messaging ahead of the highly talked about phenomenon.
The moon will be positioned for a few minutes on Monday so that the entire view of the sun will be blocked in several states, plunging millions of people into darkness during the early afternoon. The path of totality will start in Mexico and extend across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine before heading over the North Atlantic.
The event dominated headlines throughout the day and drew very different responses from the 2024 White House hopefuls.
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Biden posted a brief, 7-second video to X, formerly Twitter, on Monday warning about the importance of wearing proper eye protection while viewing the eclipse. Eye damage can occur if a viewer stares at the sun without proper protection.
“An eclipse is worth marveling at. But don’t be silly, folks – play it safe and wear protective eyewear,” Biden posted with the video.
The White House also shared the same video.
“As the solar eclipse crosses North America, everyone in the contiguous U.S. can experience the awe of safely observing the Sun being blocked by the Moon,” the White House posted on X. “The Biden-Harris Administration reminds you to play it safe today – don’t forget your specialized eye protection.”
As the solar eclipse crosses North America, everyone in the contiguous U.S. can experience the awe of safely observing the Sun being blocked by the Moon.
The Biden-Harris Administration reminds you to play it safe today – don’t forget your specialized eye protection. https://t.co/hFsxo1hkxU
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 8, 2024
Trump shared a vastly different message.
The former president took to Truth Social on Sunday night and shared a video that was over a minute long.
At the start, the video appears to be about the eclipse, showing what appears to be the moon moving in front of the sun. The video cuts to people wearing eclipse glasses and viewing the astronomical phenomenon. As the “moon” progresses, however, the it is made clear that it is Trump’s profile that is actually eclipsing the sun.
“The most important moment in human history is taking place in 2024,” text overlaid the video said. “We will save America and make it great again. Trump 2024.”
Dramatic music plays in the background as people chant “USA” over and over.
Trump is the presumptive Republican candidate in the 2024 general election. He will face President Joe Biden in the November election rematch four years after the two faced off in an election won by Biden.
Newsweek reached out to a Trump spokesperson and to the White House by email for comment.
Trump has faced ridicule for his behavior during the last eclipse in 2017 for appearing to look toward the sun without wearing proper eyewear.
The eclipse spectacle is expected to draw crowds from around the nation as people head to areas in the path of totality to witness the full effects of the eclipse.
Meanwhile, officials across the country have voiced concerns about stretched public safety resources and an “enormous strain” on local hospitals and congested roadways. At least four states have urged residents to stock up on groceries and gas and to fill medical prescriptions in the days leading up to the eclipse, as it is expected that traffic could overwhelm local roads.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.