Full Breakdown
Trump Presses Senate Republicans to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On October 3, 2026, President Donald Trump used Truth Social to post what he claimed was Senator Tom Cotton’s personal cellphone number and to accuse the Arkansas Republican of blocking the Sunshine Protection Act, which would keep the United States on daylight-saving time year-round. Trump called the effort a “bipartisan win” and urged Arkansans to call Cotton directly.
Background & Context
The United States has observed daylight-saving time since the Uniform Time Act of 1966. A 1974 experiment during the energy crisis was repealed after backlash over dark winter mornings. The Sunshine Protection Act, first passed by the Senate in 2022, resurfaced in 2025 and again in 2026 with bipartisan support in the House.
Data & Statistics
- The House approved the Sunshine Protection Act on July 14, 2026 by a 308-117 vote (some outlets reported 301-117).
- A 2025 AP-NORC poll found 12 % of U.S. adults favor the current system, 47 % oppose it, and 40 % are neutral.
- The PGA Tour estimates the bill could generate $1 billion in annual direct revenue for the sport.
Official Statements & Responses
Senator Cotton, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, reiterated his opposition, warning that permanent DST would push winter sunrise times to 8 a.m. or later in Arkansas and later in northern states, creating “dark and dismal” mornings for schoolchildren and commuters. Cotton’s office cited his 2025 Senate floor speech, which referenced historical failures of year-round DST.
White House officials declined to comment on the phone-number post. Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed doubt that the measure could secure the 60 votes needed for passage.
Criticism & Opposition
Sleep-medicine experts from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine argued that permanent DST would misalign daylight with human circadian rhythms, potentially increasing seasonal depression and sleep disturbances. They advocated for permanent standard time instead.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on the exact House vote tally: most cite 308-117, while one report lists 301-117. No Senate floor vote date has been scheduled, and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation has not moved the bill forward. Independent studies on the net impact of permanent DST remain limited.
What’s Next
Senators departed Washington in the week leading up to the November 3 midterm elections and have not announced a return date, leaving the bill stalled in committee. Under current law, the nation will revert to standard time on November 1, 2026, when clocks are set back one hour.
Verbatim Quotes
- “For some reason, Tom is stopping the Bill and, in the Senate, it’s very easy to do, it only takes one!” — Donald Trump, President of the United States
- “If Tom Cotton were putting Arkansas first, he would give them an extra hour of daylight and, more importantly, they wouldn’t have to run all over their houses, farms, workplaces, and everywhere else, twice a year, having to change their Clocks, and often forgetting to do so” — Donald Trump, President of the United States
- “Arkansans don’t want their kids going to school in the pitch dark, and I’ll always put Arkansas first.” — Tom Cotton, U.S. Senator (R-Ark.)
- “No one likes changing the clock, me included, but Congress has enacted permanent Daylight Savings Time multiple times before and repealed it each time once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter,” — Tom Cotton, U.S. Senator (R-Ark.)