Donald Trump has gone on a lengthy tirade against MAGA Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton for threatening the future of a bill to make daylight saving time permanent.
In a late-night Truth Social post, the 80-year-old president urged Republicans in the Senate to pass the Sunshine Protection Act—which Trump has dubbed the “No More Changing of Clocks Act”—in order to end the “ridiculous Clock changing process.”
“Unfortunately, it’s being held up by Senator Tom Cotton, of Arkansas, for reasons unknown,” Trump pointedly said at 12:12 a.m. ET.
“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. It is foolish, inconvenient and, in some cases, very costly.”
The Sunshine Protection Act has stalled in the Senate after easily clearing the House in a 308-117 vote in July.
Supporters of the bill, including Trump, have suggested that not putting the clocks back in the winter and having more daylight in the evenings will benefit the economy, improve people’s quality of life and health, and reduce crime.
“A recent case was made that it is also bad for your health in the anxiety it creates,” Trump added in his 385-word Truth Social post.
“Leading Medical, Crime, and Economic Studies have shown, conclusively, that ceasing the biannual time change, giving us one extra hour of natural sunlight in the evenings, will help Decrease Robbery and Murder Rates, Reduce Car Accidents (especially those involving Pedestrians!), Lower Risk for Cardiac Issues, Stroke, and Seasonal Depression, Make It Safer for Children to Walk Home from School, Increase Time with your Family, Strongly Support Extracurricular Activities, Boost the Sports, Fitness, Tourism, Retail, and Restaurant Industries (and more!), and Save Money on Energy Bills, because everyone will be enjoying an EXTRA HOUR OF DAYLIGHT,” he added in a singularly rambling sentence.
“In other words, leave it as it is now, and never change it again. But importantly, with a 100% approval rating, is that NOBODY wants to change their Clocks twice a year. This is an issue that Republicans, Democrats, and Independents can unite behind!”
Despite Trump’s claims, Cotton has repeatedly given his reasons for opposing permanent daylight saving time, including that it would make winter a “dark and dismal time for millions of Americans.”
“The darkness of permanent Daylight Savings Time would be especially harmful for schoolchildren and working Americans. As we saw in 1974, kids would either walk to school in the pitch black or schools would have to push back start times,” Cotton said in an October 2025 speech on the Senate floor. “The choice would be between danger on the one hand, and disruption on the other.”
“Meanwhile, construction workers, farmers, and others who rise before the sun or need the sun to work would be penalized. These workers might go three, four, even five hours in the morning without seeing the sun, which would hurt their quality of life and potentially their safety in the workplace,” he added.
Other Senate Republicans have said they oppose the Sunshine Protection Act. Montana Sen. Steve Daines said the plan would affect parents and children in Western U.S. states more, as the sun would not rise until around 9:30 a.m. in winter.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune—who voted against the Sunshine Protection Act at the committee stage—previously suggested the bill might not have the 60-vote threshold needed to pass the Senate.
The upper chamber is currently adjourned ahead of the midterms until Nov. 9, meaning the bill has no chance of passing before the clocks go back on Nov. 1.
The Daily Beast has contacted Tom Cotton’s office for comment.
