Tucker Carlson praises Trump's naked-eye eclipse staring, partly fulfilling parody predictions

Tucker Carlson praises Trump&#039;s decision to stare at the sun

(Image credit: Screenshot/Twitter/Fox News)

published 22 August 2017

Given Fox News host Tucker Carlson's previous treatment of President Trump, the wags on Twitter had some fun predicting what he would say Monday night about Trump's decision to stare directly into the sun during the solar eclipse, without using the solar glasses in his hand, ignoring all the warnings about irreversible eye damage. "It is good the president is blind now," reads one fake Carlson talking point imagined by comedy writer Jason O. Gilbert. "Trump's other senses are about to get MUCH stronger."

Maybe Carlson was getting in on the joke by declaring, with a straight face, that Trump's staring at the sun without protective glasses was "perhaps the most impressive thing any president has ever done." Maybe he was serious. Who can say? But seriously, looking at the sun without protection during a solar eclipse is a bad idea that can lead to permanent retina damage and partial blindness. Whether or not you think of the American president as a role model, Trump was clearly setting a bad example by risking his vision for a momentary thrill on national TV. The New York Daily News gets it.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox