Biden mocks Trump with his pre-recorded solar eclipse 2024 video in same spot where his predecessor stared at the sun: 'Play it safe, don't be silly'

President Joe Biden mocked Donald Trump's staring straight into the sun during the 2017 eclipse with a warning ahead of this year's totality: 'play it safe and wear protective eyewear.'

On his X account, Biden posted a short video showing himself in the exact spot at the White House that Trump stood in seven years ago and stared at a partial eclipse without eye protection.

'Folks enjoy the eclipse but play it safe, don't be silly,' Biden says as he dons protective eyewear.

The video adds this written warning: 'An eclipse is worth marveling at. But don't be silly, folks – play it safe and wear protective eyewear.'

President Joe Biden mocked Donald Trump's eclipse viewing with a warning of his own

The video posted a few hours before the eclipse was due to hit its path in the United States.  Millions of people in North America along a path going from Mexico into the United States and then Canada will experience a total solar eclipse. 

Other parts of the country will get a partial sighting. 

Biden is traveling to Madison, Wisconsin, and Chicago on Monday, where he's expected to catch a glimpse of the eclipse but he will not be in the zone that gets totality, which is when the moon completely obscures the sun, causing darkness.

The president will discuss cutting student loans in Wisconsin and attend a political fundraiser in Chicago. 

'We know this eclipse is exciting,' press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Air Force One when asked why Biden wasn't watching the eclipse at the White House, 'but student loans matter.'

'I's an exciting day. Yes, there's an eclipse but you know, it's not going to stop the president from traveling and going directly to the American people.'

Madison and Chicago should have around 90% coverage of the sun, giving the president a good viewing.

Eclipse googles were handed out on Air Force One to keep everyone's eyes safe. 

In places along the path of the eclipse, people will be able to view the sun's corona - the star's outer atmosphere - that typically is not visible because of solar brightness. 

To look at it head on can cause scarring on the eyes, including black spots and blind spots. Experts advise using safe solar viewing glasses or a safe handheld solar viewer.

Regular sunglasses, such as the aviators that Biden wears, are not safe for viewing the sun.

Then-President Donald Trump looks up at the partial solar eclipse from the balcony of the White House on August 21, 2017

Trump later used the protective eyeware as he watched the partial eclipse with former first lady Melania and son Barron

In 2017, when Donald Trump was president, he famously looked at the eclipse without protective googles.

Trump, who viewed the the action from the terrace of the White House alongside First Lady Melania and their son Barron, made the mistake at looking up at the sun without glasses, and quickly cast his eyes down as he was blinded by the light.

He then looked up at the sun a second time. 

At that point one of the aides standing below the balcony shouted out: 'Don't look.'

He later donned the protective eyewear so he coupd properly view the phenomenon.

But many critics and scientists railed against him for failing to initially use the special glasses after they had spent weeks warning people of the dangers.

Trump's move also sparked a host of memes mocking the president.

Now, seven years later, Trump, who is challenging Biden in the November election, issued a campaign video comparing the election to the eclipse.

In the video, a silhouette of his head moves across the sky.

Donald Trump released a campaign video comparing the election to the eclipse, where his head blocks out the sun

The video begins with the phrase 'the most important moment in human history is taking place in 2024' hovering over an image of the sun. 

With the 2001: A Space Odyssey theme playing in the background, the video then flicks to photos of crowds gathered to watch the eclipse with their glasses on.

The hoards of people start to cheer as Trump's head slowly moves closer to the sun and the U.S. gets darker.

When his head covers the sun, creating its own eclipse, more words flash across the screen saying: 'We will save America. And make it great again'. 

The next opportunity to see a total solar eclipse in the 48 contiguous U.S. states and Canada isn't until 2044.