President Donald Trump has renewed his call for permanent daylight saving time, following a stalled Sunshine Protection Act in the Senate, which had already passed in the House months earlier.
During a Saturday address, Trump specifically criticized Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, urging residents of his home state to pressure him into supporting the bill.
“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,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He added, “It should pass overwhelmingly, in a bipartisan fashion. So, everyone in Arkansas, a state I love and won three times—last by 34 points—tell Tom to get it done! It will be appreciated by all. Nobody wants to waste their precious time moving clocks back twice a year. Plus, having sunshine in the afternoon is much better than in the early morning!”
Trump argued that keeping daylight saving time year-round would benefit various groups, including golfers, tennis players, hunters, and farmers, as it would provide “more daylight to play or work.”
As an avid golfer himself, Trump emphasized the impact on the PGA Tour, even sharing a supportive letter from PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, who highlighted the benefits of passing the bill.
“Permanent daylight saving time (DST) would expand access to golf at a time when the game is more popular than ever. Most golfers juggle the game with busy lives, and the timing gets squeezed when the clocks change,” Rolapp stated.
He continued, explaining that research from the National Golf Course Owners Association estimates that permanent DST could lead to 23 million additional rounds played each year and generate $1 billion in new revenue for the golf industry.
Trump maintained that most Americans do not wish to constantly change their clocks and believe permanent DST is the way to go.
“They want to, as they say, ‘LOCK THE CLOCK!’” Trump asserted.
The president went further, providing a contact number for Cotton’s constituents to express their desire for him to support a Senate vote on the matter.
“If Tom Cotton were putting Arkansas first, he would give them an extra hour of daylight without them having to run around changing clocks twice a year—and often forgetting to do so,” Trump remarked in another post.
In a different entry, Trump shared, “I don’t know about anyone else, but a table full of very distinguished people just told me that they HATE coming home in the dark right after a time change. It’s just depressing!”
The bill, which passed the House with bipartisan support, would allow states to opt out of permanent DST. For instance, Arizona has indicated it might continue observing standard time even if the legislation is enacted.
Previously, Cotton has been resistant to similar proposals, having declared his opposition to year-round daylight saving time during a 2025 Senate speech. Although he can’t block the measure outright, he has the power to impede its expedited passage.
