PoliticsDonald Trump Targets Senator Tom Cotton in Midnight Rant About Daylight Savings Time: 'Nobody Wants to Change Their Clocks'
Donald Trump targeted Sen. Tom Cotton over the stalled daylight saving time bill.
Oct. 10 2026, Published 5:53 a.m. ET
President Donald Trump turned permanent daylight saving time into a late-night grievance against a member of his own party, singling out Sen. Tom Cotton in a lengthy social media rant.
“Unfortunately, it’s being held up by Senator Tom Cotton, of Arkansas, for reasons unknown,” Trump wrote on Truth Social at 12:12 a.m.
Cotton has repeatedly explained his opposition to the Sunshine Protection Act, which Trump calls the “No More Changing of Clocks Act.”
A Clock Bill Becomes a Loyalty Test
The president argued that permanent daylight saving time would benefit Americans and businesses.
The legislation would end the twice-yearly clock change by making daylight saving time permanent. It passed the House 308–117 in July but has stalled in the Senate.
Trump called changing the clocks “foolish, inconvenient and, in some cases, very costly.” In one lengthy sentence, he claimed permanent daylight saving time would reduce crime and car accidents, improve health and increase family time while benefiting the sports, fitness, tourism, retail and restaurant industries.
“With a 100 [percent] approval rating, is that NOBODY wants to change their Clocks twice a year,” Trump added.
Tom Cotton Warns of Dark Winter Mornings
Tom Cotton warned that permanent daylight saving time could leave Americans facing dark winter mornings.
Cotton has argued that permanent daylight saving time would leave millions of Americans beginning winter days in darkness.
“Kids would either walk to school in the pitch black or schools would have to push back start times,” he said during an October 2025 Senate speech. “The choice would be between danger on the one hand, and disruption on the other.”
He also warned that construction workers, farmers and others who already begin working before sunrise could spend several morning hours without daylight.
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Other Republicans raised concerns about the legislation and the bill’s chances in the Senate.
Cotton is not the only Republican opposing the legislation. Sen. Steve Daines of Montana has raised concerns about winter sunrise times in Western states, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota has suggested the bill may lack the 60 votes required to pass.
The Senate is adjourned until November 9, meaning the proposal cannot pass before clocks move back November 1.
Why the Midnight Timing Matters
Donald Trump’s midnight post turned a policy dispute with Tom Cotton into a viral political spectacle.
"A late-night post is an agenda-setting tool,” said Amore Philip, founder of Apples and Oranges Public Relations.“Posting after the evening news cycle closes gives the sender first claim on the next morning: producers, bookers, and reporters wake up to a ready-made headline, and everyone else spends the day reacting,” she explained.
Philip said framing the legislation as a loyalty test added the conflict needed to turn a policy matter into entertainment.
“Late-night gets a built-in bit, cable gets a panel, and social platforms get a clip. Every outlet that covers the post, critics included, extends its reach,” she added. “The takeaway is that timing and framing often travel further than the substance of the message itself."
