Mother Jones illustration; Andrew Harnik/AP; Ron Sachs/CNP/ZUMA

I am still suffering from Trump-era-induced brain melt. But even against the uncontrolled spigot of dumb that produced my malady, one especially dumb moment stands out: former President Donald Trump’s peek at a solar eclipse.

As I wrote at the time, it was a deeply Trumpian incident that, true to character, defied both science and common sense from the literal highest perch of government, the White House. But returning to this moment seven years later, a strange tingling connection emerges—and I can’t help but relate. There’s something understandable about the stupid curiosity with which he ignored the rules for a fleeting second. The thrill! (But I speak as someone who touched a painting on a dare during a school trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.)

So on the eve of another total eclipse, I talked to Dr. Viola Kanevsky, a renowned optometrist based in New York, to ensure that I had the facts straight on what the eyes can take, should my own mischief lead me to suffer a very different kind of melt.

Here’s what she had to tell me about the potential for eye damage—and Trump’s infamous 2017 turn toward the sun.

What one safety measure would you want people to be aware of during Monday’s solar eclipse?

Ideally, you have a pair of solar eclipse........

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