Truth Social posts and public pressure

On Saturday, 3 October 2026, US President Donald Trump published a 10-digit phone number that he identified as the mobile number of Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas. Trump urged his followers on Truth Social to contact the lawmaker directly to demand movement on the Sunshine Protection Act, a federal measure aimed at establishing permanent daylight saving time. When reporters called the Arkansas number on Saturday, calls went to an automated voicemail greeting indicating an unnamed recipient was temporarily unavailable or that the inbox was full.

Trump argued that ending the twice-yearly clock adjustment would benefit the public by extending evening daylight hours across the United States.

“Nobody wants to spend their precious time running all over the place, turning Clocks back twice a year and, having sunshine in the afternoon is better than early in the morning!”

Legislative standoff in Congress

The Sunshine Protection Act would end the traditional practice observed by most US states since the 1960s, under which clocks advance in March and fall back in November. In July 2026, the House of Representatives approved the legislation in a 308 to 117 roll call vote. However, the bill stalled upon reaching the Senate, where unanimous consent or broad support is required to advance contested measures. Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana called the bill dead as disco and noted that Senate Majority Leader John Thune was unlikely to bring the proposal to the floor.

In favor308

Against117

In favor

308 votes

Against

117 votes

Data from the article text

The legislative timeline reflects repeated debates over daylight saving policies across multiple decades.

Disagreement over morning darkness and public impact

Senator Cotton publicly defended his opposition on X, noting that earlier national experiments with year-round daylight saving time caused public dissatisfaction during winter months. In 1974, the United States adopted year-round daylight saving time, but Congress repealed the statute in less than a year after parents raised safety concerns about school commutes in morning darkness. Cotton noted that residents of Arkansas do not want children heading to school before sunrise, stating that he puts his home state first. Trump responded with a subsequent post asserting that Cotton was blocking the legislation due to ego rather than constituent concerns.

“No one likes changing the clock, me included, but Congress has enacted permanent Daylight Savings already and repealed it every time Americans were confronted with absurdly late sunrises in winter.”

Economic and recreational arguments

Trump cited several groups in support of the legislation, including farmers, hunters, tennis players, and golfers. The president shared a 1 October 2026 letter from PGA Tour chief executive Brian Rolapp, who endorsed the legislation and argued that extra afternoon daylight would permit golfers to play 23 million additional rounds annually. Trump also told reporters that shifting clocks twice a year discombobulates everyone, adding that more daylight allows longer outdoor activity. Most of the United States is scheduled to switch clocks back to standard time on 1 November 2026, with only Hawaii and parts of Arizona maintaining year-round standard time.

The incident is not the first instance of Trump sharing a lawmaker's contact information during a policy dispute. During his 2015 presidential campaign, Trump publicly read out the telephone number of Republican Senator Lindsey Graham during a rally after Graham criticized him.