Trump Presses Senate GOP to Advance Permanent Daylight Saving Time Bill

In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump criticized the twice-yearly clock change as costly and disruptive, arguing that most Americans prefer an extra hour of evening daylight. He framed the issue as a rare point of agreement across party lines and suggested that the legislation would benefit public health, crime reduction, traffic safety, and sectors such as sports, tourism, restaurants, and retail.

The Hill

The House of Representatives approved the Sunshine Protection Act in July with a 308-117 vote, but the measure has not yet cleared the Senate. A similar proposal received unanimous Senate approval in 2022 before stalling in the House. The United States previously experimented with year-round daylight saving time in early 1974 in response to the energy crisis, but the policy was abandoned that fall after concerns about dark winter mornings, especially for schoolchildren, prompted its repeal.

The Hill

Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has emerged as the most vocal Senate opponent. Trump countered that more evening daylight would cut crime and traffic accidents and that even farmers would favor additional evening hours for harvesting.

The Hill

• “A ridiculous Clock changing process that takes place twice a year, costs our Country a fortune, is bad for Crime, stress on people, Sports, and just about everything else you can imagine,” — Trump

The Hill

• “People are sick and tired of having to change their Clocks twice a year. Even most farmers would rather have additional time in the evening to harvest their crops,” — Trump

The Hill