Nicolai Haugsted
Trump’s latest anecdote has people talking — “You gotta be kidding”.
President Donald Trump says an overlooked clock change caused him to arrive an hour late to a high-level meeting, using the anecdote to renew his call for ending the twice-yearly switch between standard time and daylight saving time.
Speaking in an interview with Real America’s Voice, Trump argued that the current system creates unnecessary confusion and should be permanently abolished.
While discussing legislation aimed at making daylight saving time permanent, Trump recalled what he described as an embarrassing scheduling mishap.
“I was late. I was an hour late for an appointment, a big one with a big person from a big country. I was an hour late,” Trump said.
He explained that he did not initially understand why he had missed the meeting.
“I walk in. ‘Sir, you’re quite late.’ I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ Oh, it’s, ‘You forgot to spring forward’ or ‘fall back,’ you know? I think, ‘You gotta be kidding.'”
Trump did not identify the meeting or the foreign leader involved.
Renewed push to change the law
President has repeatedly argued that Americans are tired of adjusting their clocks twice each year.
During the interview, he claimed overwhelming public support for eliminating the practice, saying nearly everyone dislikes changing their clocks.
Earlier this year, Trump also praised legislation advancing through Congress that would make daylight saving time permanent.
On Truth Social, he wrote:
“It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production.”
Although the proposal cleared the House Energy and Commerce Committee and later passed the House, it has stalled in the Senate, where lawmakers have raised concerns about darker mornings during parts of the year.
A YouGov poll conducted in February 2026 found that 64 percent of Americans support ending the need to change clocks twice a year.
Survey results also showed that respondents favored permanent daylight saving time over permanent standard time, though lawmakers have yet to reach agreement on how to implement such a change.
White House officials referred questions about Trump’s comments to his earlier Truth Social post but did not elaborate on the meeting he referenced.
