Trump Urges Congress to End Daylight Saving Time
President Donald Trump has renewed his push to permanently do away with daylight saving time — the twice-yearly practice of shifting clocks forward in spring and back in fall. Speaking at a rally on July 27 at a General Motors plant in Michigan, Trump told the crowd, “Let’s get rid of daylight saving time stuff, OK?”
Daylight saving time runs from March through November in most of the United States, during which clocks are set an hour ahead to extend evening daylight during the warmer months. The idea has long been controversial, with debates over its benefits and drawbacks resurfacing every few years. Trump’s latest comments add fresh momentum to efforts already underway in Congress to scrap the practice for good.
Bill Already Cleared the House
During his remarks, Trump pointed out that the House of Representatives has already passed legislation that would let states stop observing the twice-a-year clock change. That bill is now sitting in the Senate, which passed a similar measure back in 2022 — though that earlier effort never became law.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, has cautioned that it remains uncertain whether the bill can secure the 60 votes needed to overcome procedural obstacles in the chamber. Despite that uncertainty, Trump expressed optimism, saying, “Hopefully, the Senate is going to approve that one. The House approved it and we’re going to get rid of that.”
Health and Safety Arguments
Supporters of ending the clock changes argue that the twice-yearly shift disrupts sleep patterns, which in turn can contribute to a range of health problems. Research has also linked the transition to a rise in traffic accidents, as disrupted sleep schedules can reduce alertness on the road, particularly in the days immediately following the time change.
Republican Representative Brett Guthrie of Kentucky voiced support for locking the clock permanently on July 13, arguing that a fixed year-round schedule would benefit sleep patterns, cut energy use, improve road safety, and even boost the broader economy.
Not Everyone Is on Board
Still, the proposal faces resistance. Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas opposes the change and could use procedural tactics to stall the bill in the Senate. His main concern is that making daylight saving time permanent would push sunrise to “dangerously late hours” during winter months — a scenario he warns could leave children walking to school and commuters heading to work in the dark for longer stretches of the morning.
A Patchwork Across States
Not all states currently follow the daylight saving time schedule. Arizona and Hawaii, along with the U.S. territories of Guam and Puerto Rico, already opt out of the seasonal clock change. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, an additional 19 states have passed legislation that would end the practice within their borders as soon as federal law permits it — meaning a significant number of states are simply waiting on Congress to act before making the switch official.
What Happens Next
For now, the fate of the bill rests with the Senate, where a small number of lawmakers could determine whether it moves forward or stalls indefinitely. If enough support materializes, it would mark one of the most significant changes to how Americans track time in decades. Until then, though, the country remains bound to the familiar routine of springing clocks forward and falling them back each year.
Trump’s comments have thrust the debate back into the national spotlight, and attention will likely remain fixed on the Senate in the coming weeks to see whether the chamber can find the votes needed to send the bill to the president’s desk.
