What We Know About Trump's Daylight Saving Clash With Cotton

President Donald Trump appeared to post Sen. Tom Cotton's personal cellphone number on Truth Social this weekend, urging Arkansas voters to call the Republican senator directly over his refusal to let a bill ending twice-yearly clock changes move forward, NBC News reported.

The dispute centers on the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent nationwide. The House passed a version of the bill in July, but it has stalled in the Senate, according to NBC News.

What did Trump post about Sen. Cotton?

Trump's campaign against the holdup played out over three separate Truth Social posts starting Friday. In the first, early Friday morning, he wrote that Senate Republicans "have to get moving on what I call the 'No More Changing of Clocks Act,' officially known as The Sunshine Protection Act," arguing the twice-annual time change "costs our Country a fortune, is bad for Crime, stress on people, Sports, and just about everything else you can imagine," per NBC News.

On Saturday, Trump named Cotton directly: "Everybody in Arkansas, Tom Cotton, a friend of mine, is holding up a very important Bill. It's called, 'The Sunshine Protection Act' or, 'We Don't Want to Change Our Clocks Twice a Year Act.' For some reason, Tom is stopping the Bill and, in the Senate, it's very easy to do, it only takes one! It should pass overwhelmingly, in a Bipartisan fashion," he wrote, according to the outlet.

In that same post, Trump appeared to include what NBC News described as the senator's cellphone number, writing: "To the Great People of Arkansas, please let your Senator know it would be a GREAT Bipartisan WIN for the United States Senate, and for America, itself. Call Tom on his cellphone ... and let him know."

Trump posted about Cotton a third time later Saturday: "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, work places, and everywhere else, twice a year, having to change their Clocks, and often forgetting to do so."

Why does Cotton oppose permanent daylight saving time?

Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, has previously opposed making daylight saving time permanent, arguing that darker winter mornings would negatively affect Americans' health and well-being, NBC News reported. The outlet did not detail further specifics of Cotton's stated reasoning or whether he has responded publicly to Trump's posts.

What is the Sunshine Protection Act, and where does it stand?

The Sunshine Protection Act would end the twice-yearly practice of shifting clocks forward in spring and back in fall, locking the country into daylight saving time year-round. The House approved its version in July, but the Senate has not taken up the measure, according to NBC News.

Trump made eliminating the clock change a part of his policy agenda after his 2024 election to a second term, the outlet reported.

Why can one senator hold up the bill?

Trump's Saturday post pointed to Senate procedure as the reason a single lawmaker can delay the legislation, writing that blocking a bill in the chamber "only takes one." Senate rules generally allow individual senators to object to measures being brought up by unanimous consent, which can stall floor action even when, as Trump argued, a bill might otherwise "pass overwhelmingly, in a Bipartisan fashion."

What happens next?

NBC News's report did not indicate a scheduled Senate vote or a public response from Cotton's office following Trump's posts. The bill's path forward depends on whether Senate leadership schedules floor time or whether Cotton's objection is resolved through negotiation. NBC News has not reported any change in Cotton's position as of its Oct. 3 report.

FAQ

What is the Sunshine Protection Act? It is legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent across the United States, ending the twice-yearly clock change. The House passed a version in July, and the Senate has not yet taken it up, according to NBC News.

Did Trump actually post Sen. Cotton's phone number? NBC News reported that Trump "appeared to" include the senator's cellphone number in a Saturday Truth Social post that urged Arkansas residents to call Cotton directly about the bill.

Why is Cotton blocking the bill? Cotton has said permanent daylight saving time would create darker winter mornings that negatively affect Americans' health and well-being, per NBC News. The outlet did not report any public statement from Cotton responding to Trump's posts.

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