Trump Escalates Daylight-Saving Fight by Posting Tom Cotton’s Phone Number

President Donald Trump has intensified an unusual dispute inside the Republican Party by publicly sharing what appeared to be Sen. Tom Cotton’s personal cellphone number and urging Arkansas residents to pressure the senator over legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent.

 

 

 

5

The confrontation unfolded October 3 as Trump pushed the Sunshine Protection Act, legislation that would end the twice-yearly clock change in most of the United States.

Trump argued that the measure would give Americans more daylight during the hours when people are active. He also cited potential benefits for public safety, sports and other activities.

Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas and chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has taken the opposite position. He argues that keeping daylight saving time year-round would create excessively dark winter mornings, particularly for children traveling to school.

 

 

 

5

Trump directly targeted Cotton in a series of posts on Truth Social. He described Cotton as a friend but accused him of holding up what Trump characterized as an important bipartisan bill.

The president then included a phone number with an Arkansas area code and told people in the state to contact Cotton and demand that he support the legislation. Reuters and the Associated Press reported that the number appeared to be Cotton's personal cellphone number.

The move immediately attracted attention because publicly distributing a politician's personal contact information is highly unusual, even in an intensely partisan political environment.

Cotton did not change his position. Shortly after Trump's posts, he reiterated that he does not favor the existing twice-yearly clock changes but also does not support permanent daylight saving time.

 

 

 

5

Cotton pointed to previous attempts to keep daylight saving time permanently. He argued that Congress had experimented with the idea before and ultimately reversed course after complaints about extremely late winter sunrises.

The debate is not simply about whether Americans dislike changing their clocks. Public opinion surveys have generally shown significant dissatisfaction with the twice-yearly change, but Americans are divided over whether the country should remain permanently on daylight saving time or permanently on standard time.

A 2025 AP-NORC survey found that only 12 percent of adults preferred the existing system when presented with the alternatives, while 47 percent opposed the current arrangement and 40 percent were neutral.

 

 

 

5

The legislation has already cleared one major hurdle. The House passed the Sunshine Protection Act in July by a 308–117 vote, demonstrating substantial bipartisan support there.

The Senate, however, has not advanced the measure. Under normal Senate procedures, legislation generally requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, making bipartisan support particularly important.

Cotton is not the only Republican skeptical of the proposal. Other senators have raised concerns about schoolchildren, workers who begin their days early and communities where winter sunrise times would become considerably later.

Trump has also changed his position on the issue over the years. At different points, he has suggested eliminating daylight saving time altogether and, more recently, has strongly advocated making it permanent.

 

 

 

6

The economic argument is another component of the fight. Supporters contend that an additional hour of evening daylight could benefit businesses, outdoor recreation and professional sports.

Trump specifically mentioned golf while pressing Cotton. PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp also sent Trump a letter expressing support for the Sunshine Protection Act, according to reporting on Trump's posts.

Opponents, meanwhile, emphasize the trade-off: an extra hour of daylight in the evening means sunrise occurs an hour later than it otherwise would during winter.

For parts of the country, that could mean children waiting for school buses and workers commuting before sunrise for much of the winter season.

 

 

 

6

The confrontation also has a precedent involving Trump and another Republican senator.

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump publicly disclosed Sen. Lindsey Graham's personal cellphone number after the South Carolina Republican criticized him. Graham later became a prominent Trump ally.

The latest dispute is therefore about more than clocks. It illustrates the president's willingness to use direct public pressure against members of his own party when they resist an issue he has identified as a legislative priority.