Trump Renews Call to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent, Citing Popular Support and Government Cost

Edited by: TJVNews.com

In a renewed push that adds momentum to a growing bipartisan effort, President Donald Trump on Friday publicly reiterated his support for making Daylight Saving Time (DST) permanent, arguing that the move would benefit millions of Americans and eliminate what he called a “very costly event” for the federal government.

Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump encouraged both chambers of Congress to take swift action: “The House and Senate should push hard for more Daylight at the end of a day,” he wrote.

“Very popular and, most importantly, no more changing of the clocks, a big inconvenience and, for our government, A VERY COSTLY EVENT!!!”

According to a report that appeared in The New York Post, this latest endorsement rekindles Trump’s earlier calls for reform, first made during his previous term in office and echoed again in 2023. However, his support for the initiative appeared to waver earlier this year due to pushback from northern states, where officials have expressed concerns about the dangers of children traveling to school in the dark during the winter months.

In a December 2023 statement, Trump seemed poised to abandon the issue entirely, calling the movement to abolish clock-changing a “small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t!” He pledged that “The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time,” only to scale back his enthusiasm in more recent months.

Speaking from the Oval Office last month, Trump tempered his position, stating ,“It’s very much a fifty-fifty issue and it’s something I can do, but a lot of people like it one way, a lot of people like it the other way.” The New York Post reported that he acknowledged a key point of contention: “I assume people would like to have more light later, but some people want to have more light earlier because they don’t want to take their kids to school in the dark.”

Despite those reservations, Trump’s Friday message suggests a return to full-throated advocacy for what has become an enduring and often polarizing debate — one that blends science, public health, politics, and lifestyle preferences into a seasonal battle over clocks and circadian rhythms.

As The New York Post report noted, the modern push to make Daylight Saving Time permanent gained national traction in 2022, when then-Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), now serving as Trump’s Secretary of State, introduced the Sunshine Protection Act. The legislation passed the Senate unanimously, surprising even its sponsors, only to stall and ultimately die in the House of Representatives amid broader gridlock and competing legislative priorities.

The bill sought to eliminate the biannual clock-switching ritual, which critics say causes sleep disruption, increased traffic accidents, and health issues such as cardiovascular stress. Proponents argue that permanent DST would provide more daylight during waking hours, encourage economic activity, and enhance quality of life.

But the proposal has faced pushback from educators, safety advocates, and medical professionals — particularly in northern regions — who worry about the risks of prolonged morning darkness in winter, especially for school-age children, as per The New York Post report.

Trump’s latest endorsement could reinvigorate the stalled effort, especially given his outsized influence over the Republican Party and the fact that he is seeking a return to the White House in the upcoming election. With a growing number of bipartisan lawmakers signaling openness to clock reform, the issue may gain traction once again — particularly if Trump makes it a part of his 2024 platform.

In many ways, the debate over Daylight Saving Time represents a microcosm of modern American politics: a seemingly small quality-of-life issue that touches on health, economics, regional identity, and cultural preferences, as was observed in The New York Times report. While the science behind DST remains contested, its political viability may hinge on momentum, public sentiment, and presidential leadership.

Trump’s characterization of the clock change as a “costly inconvenience” for the government may also reflect concerns within his administration about the bureaucratic and logistical burden of twice-yearly transitions in everything from air travel schedules to digital infrastructure.