Nicolai Haugsted
Trump makes late-night demand over daylight saving time, with data proven right by medical research.
Donald Trump has plenty on his political calendar with the midterm elections barely a month away.
Late Thursday night, however, the president’s attention landed on a rather more literal calendar problem: Americans changing their clocks twice a year.
Trump issued a lengthy demand for Congress to make daylight saving time permanent, arguing that the twice-yearly ritual is expensive, stressful and potentially harmful.
His message also came with a Republican target.
Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas was singled out by Trump as the man standing between Americans and brighter evenings — although the Senate has already left Washington for its pre-election recess, limiting the chances of an immediate breakthrough.
Trump has had enough of changing the clocks
Trump used a lengthy Truth Social post to throw his support behind the Sunshine Protection Act, which would end the seasonal clock changes by establishing permanent daylight saving time.
The House passed the legislation in July, but it has yet to clear the Senate.
Trump made clear where he believes responsibility now lies.
“Both Democrats and Republicans want it to happen. It’s now up to the U.S. Senate where it would be another Great Bipartisan Victory,” Trump wrote according to RawStory.
“Unfortunately, it’s being held up by Senator Tom Cotton, of Arkansas, for reasons unknown. People are sick and tired of having to change their Clocks twice a year.”
Trump returned to the subject shortly after midnight Friday, calling the legislation his “No More Changing of Clocks Act” and urging Senate Republicans to “get moving.”
Cotton has previously opposed attempts to impose permanent daylight saving time, arguing that darker winter mornings could create problems for families and schoolchildren.
Trump arrives with a very long list
Simply getting rid of the clock change was apparently not enough of a sales pitch.
Trump proceeded to attribute an impressive collection of potential benefits to permanent daylight saving time.
“A recent case was made that it is also bad for your health in the anxiety it creates,” Trump wrote.
His post went considerably further.
“Leading Medical, Crime, and Economic Studies have shown, conclusively, that ceasing the biannual time change, giving us one extra hour of natural sunlight in the evenings, will help Decrease Robbery and Murder Rates, Reduce Car Accidents (especially those involving Pedestrians!), Lower Risk for Cardiac Issues, Stroke, and Seasonal Depression, Make It Safer for Children to Walk Home from School, Increase Time with your Family, Strongly Support Extracurricular Activities, Boost the Sports, Fitness, Tourism, Retail, and Restaurant Industries (and more!), and Save Money on Energy Bills, because everyone will be enjoying an EXTRA HOUR OF DAYLIGHT.”
Medical research does support concerns about repeatedly shifting the clocks. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine says seasonal changes are associated with health and safety risks, including disrupted sleep, cardiovascular problems, mood disturbances and motor-vehicle crashes.
Trump’s preferred solution, however, is where the medical consensus becomes considerably less convenient for his argument.
Sleep experts agree on ending the switch but not Trump’s solution
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine supports eliminating the twice-yearly clock change.
It does not support permanent daylight saving time.
Sleep experts instead recommend permanent standard time, arguing that it aligns more closely with human circadian biology and the natural cycle of morning light and evening darkness.
Permanent daylight saving time would create later winter sunrises, particularly in northern parts of the country. The academy has warned that some communities could experience winter sunrises after 9 a.m., meaning children could travel to school in darkness.
So Trump and sleep specialists agree on half the argument: repeatedly fiddling with the clocks is not ideal.
They disagree rather substantially about which clock Americans should keep once the fiddling stops.
