Why Trump Is Pushing To End America's Twice-Yearly Clock Resetting Ritual

Last Updated:June 07, 2026, 13:20 IST

Donald Trump is personally lobbying lawmakers to make daylight saving time permanent, arguing the twice-yearly clock changes are costly, disruptive and unpopular.

Donald Trump is personally lobbying Republican lawmakers to make daylight saving time permanent in the United States, reviving a long-running debate over the country’s twice-yearly clock changes and turning the issue into an unlikely legislative priority for his administration, according to a report by Politico.

The proposal would end the practice of moving clocks forward in spring and back in autumn, instead keeping the nation on daylight saving time year-round.

Trump has argued that the current system imposes unnecessary costs and inconvenience on Americans, while supporters say a permanent shift would provide longer daylight hours in the evening.

According to the report, Trump has taken a direct role in advancing the proposal, making phone calls to Republican lawmakers and working through the White House Office of Legislative Affairs to build support for legislation that would codify daylight saving time across the country.

“The President has been actively engaged in this," a senior White House official was quoted as saying.

“It’s a big priority for him," the official said.

The effort scored an early success last month, when members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee voted overwhelmingly to include language related to the Sunshine Protection Act in a broader surface transportation reauthorization bill.

Senator Josh Hawley said Trump personally called him about the proposal.

“He’s a big fan of it," Hawley told Politico.

Recalling the conversation, Hawley said Trump asked him, “‘Do you still think this is a good idea?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I do, I think it’s a great idea.'"

HEALTH, ECONOMY AND FAMILY LIFE

The administration’s argument is centred on health concerns, economic disruption and the burden that clock changes place on families.

“The overall thrust of the policy is just to stop dealing with the health issues and the various pieces of economic dislocation that occur when we have to change our clocks," the White House official said.

The official also highlighted the challenges faced by parents when adjusting children’s schedules after each time change, describing it as “the absolute holy hell of having to adjust your children’s internal clocks with the changing of the time."

Trump himself has repeatedly framed the issue in economic terms.

In an earlier post on Truth Social, Trump had mentioned that Americans should be able to stop worrying about the clock and the “work and money" spent on the twice-yearly adjustment.

He argued that ending the practice would provide “a longer, brighter Day" and called it “an easy one."

POLITICAL AND LEGISLATIVE HURDLES REMAIN

Despite support from Trump and several Republicans, the proposal faces significant obstacles in Congress.

Politico noted that bipartisan attempts to make daylight saving time permanent have been introduced for years without success.

Opposition comes from various quarters, including sleep experts who warn about the health implications of darker mornings, as well as some religious groups and lawmakers concerned about the impact on daily life.

Senator Tom Cotton previously blocked a version of the Sunshine Protection Act, arguing that residents in his state could spend “three, four, even five hours in the morning without seeing the sun."

West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito also indicated that resistance remains within Congress.

“I’ve already heard from people over here who don’t like it," Politico quoted her as saying.

Democrats have also questioned whether the issue deserves legislative attention at a time when Americans face more pressing concerns.

“I know that it comes up from time to time, but when I’m at home, people are not talking to me about this whatsoever," Representative Kathy Castor said.

“They’re talking about the high-income cost of gas, high cost of groceries, the fact that health care has been ripped away from them."

A LONG-STANDING TRUMP PRIORITY

Politico reported that ending the clock-changing practice could become a legacy issue for Trump, who first publicly endorsed permanent daylight saving time in 2019.

The issue also carries particular significance for Florida, Trump’s home state, and for the golf industry, which benefits from longer evening daylight hours.

Florida Senator Rick Scott, who has championed the effort, said he intends to keep pushing for passage.

“The moment it passes, we protect our sunlight," Scott said.

“I’m going to make sure it gets passed this year."

THE DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME DEBATE

Trump has repeatedly called the practice of changing clocks a costly inconvenience and urged Congress to support more daylight at the end of the day.

Daylight saving time was first adopted nationally during World War I, later abolished, and eventually reinstated nationwide in 1967.

The Sunshine Protection Act sought to establish permanent daylight saving time but never became law despite passing the Senate in 2022.

Then-Senator Marco Rubio argued that studies suggested permanent daylight saving time could benefit the economy, while supporters have also pointed to research linking clock changes to increased risks of heart attacks and road accidents in the days following the transition.

For now, Trump’s push has elevated an issue that many lawmakers consider relatively minor.

About the Author

Vani Mehrotra

Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.

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