Tucker Carlson: Trump Staring at Sun Without Glasses ‘Most Impressive Thing Any President Has Done’

On Monday afternoon, the internet had a nice laugh at the image of President Donald Trump staring directly at the sun during a solar eclipse, despite aides yelling “don’t look” after he removed his special eclipse-viewing glasses.

The way one Fox News host sees it, however, the president tossing caution to the wind wasn’t so much foolhardy as it was “impressive.”

During Monday’s broadcast of Tucker Carlson Tonight, host Tucker Carlson briefly brought up the eclipse, noting that the nation was swept up in “eclipse-mania.” He then made the following observation, seemingly without a hint of sarcasm:

“Even the president saw it, but in a move that is not a complete surprise, he looked at the sun without any glasses. Perhaps the most impressive thing any president has done.”

And with that, Carlson moved onto teasing an upcoming segment about Maxine Waters, just leaving his comment about Trump to sit there and be taken at face value.

And don’t think some folks didn’t notice this little nugget:

Parody became reality tonight. Thanks, Tucker. pic.twitter.com/GSRc7Vdk2N

— Jim Swift (@JSwiftTWS) August 22, 2017

Parody meets reality on Tucker Carlson
“He looked at the sun without any glasses. Perhaps the most impressive thing any president has done.” pic.twitter.com/Ukl3ckdvVq

— Nathan McDermott (@natemcdermott) August 22, 2017

This is not satire. This is not satire. This is not satire. https://t.co/0RUAKEhscb

— Brooke Binkowski (@brooklynmarie) August 22, 2017

Fox News Tucker Carlson: Trump watching eclipse w/out glasses “perhaps most impressive thing any president has done” https://t.co/74INnJOmc5

— Claire Phipps (@Claire_Phipps) August 22, 2017

The ‘most impressive thing any president has ever done’ is what I was trying to keep my 6yo from doing. https://t.co/KuhmWeYQlU

— Jason Torchinsky (@JasonTorchinsky) August 22, 2017

However, there was one Tucker defender who said it was plainly obvious that Carlson was joking — Fox News contributor Mollie Hemingway:

So are journalists pretending not to understand Tucker’s ridiculously obvious joke or are they really that stupid? I honestly don’t know.

— Mollie (@MZHemingway) August 22, 2017

So, was it really all that obvious that Carlson was joking? I guess this is a situation where we report, you decide.

UPDATE:

A Fox News Spokesperson confirms to Mediaite that this was, indeed, a joke. Tucker Carlson adds “It was a test to see if liberals are really as slow and humorless as people claim. Turns out they are.”

Watch the clip above, via Fox News.