Trump pressures Sen. Cotton to back permanent daylight saving time bill

President Donald Trump on Saturday escalated his push for permanent daylight saving time by publicly sharing what appeared to be the personal cellphone number of Sen. Tom Cotton, the Arkansas Republican who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee. Trump urged voters in Arkansas to call Cotton and demand he stop blocking the Sunshine Protection Act, which passed the House in July but has stalled in the Senate.

The legislation would eliminate the twice-yearly clock change, keeping clocks on daylight saving time year-round while allowing states to opt out. Trump argued the change would provide more evening daylight for golfers, farmers, and families, claiming over 65 percent of Americans prefer later sunlight.

“For some reason, Tom is stopping the Bill and, in the Senate, it's very easy to do, it only takes one!”

Cotton, a member of Republican leadership who is up for reelection in November, has long opposed the measure. He reiterated his resistance on social media, warning that permanent daylight saving time would create darker, more hazardous winter mornings for children waiting for school buses and commuters driving to work.

The move marks an unusual pressure tactic by a sitting president against an ally weeks before the midterm elections. Some Republicans would prefer Trump focus on affordability and party achievements rather than a divisive procedural fight. The Associated Press attempted to call the number Trump posted but reached a full voicemail box.