Trump Escalates Push to End Twice-Yearly Clock Changes

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is intensifying his campaign to end the twice-yearly clock change in the United States, arguing that Americans should no longer have to adjust their clocks every spring and fall.

The renewed push has triggered an unusual dispute within the Republican Party, with Trump pressuring Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas to support legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent. The House passed the Sunshine Protection Act in July by a bipartisan vote of 308-117, but the measure faces resistance in the Senate.

Trump Says Americans Want an End to Clock Changes

Trump has repeatedly criticized the current system, arguing that changing clocks twice a year is disruptive and unnecessary. In recent social-media posts, he has promoted permanent daylight saving time as a way to give Americans more daylight during the evening.

The president has pointed to potential benefits for recreation, sports and businesses, including professional golf. Supporters of the legislation also argue that eliminating the clock changes could reduce disruptions to sleep and daily routines.

However, the debate is not simply about whether to change clocks. It is also about which time should become permanent.

Tom Cotton Opposes Permanent Daylight Saving Time

Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas and one of the bill's prominent opponents, has argued that permanent daylight saving time could create serious problems during the winter.

Cotton says that keeping clocks permanently one hour ahead would mean significantly later sunrises in parts of the country. Children could be waiting for school buses and workers could be commuting before sunrise.

“No one likes changing the clock, me included,” Cotton wrote in a response to Trump, while arguing that previous attempts to establish permanent daylight saving time were eventually abandoned after public opposition to extremely late winter sunrises.

A Debate That Goes Back Decades

The United States has experimented with permanent daylight saving time before. During the 1970s energy crisis, Congress adopted year-round daylight saving time, but the policy proved unpopular and was repealed after less than a year.

That history is central to Cotton's argument. He has warned that Americans could once again face dark winter mornings if the country permanently remains on daylight saving time.

The controversy also illustrates an important distinction: some Americans want permanent daylight saving time, while others prefer permanent standard time. Both approaches would eliminate the twice-yearly clock changes, but they would place an additional hour of daylight in different parts of the day.