Christine Drews Sieger
Trump published Senator Tom Cotton’s private phone number online during a dispute over daylight saving time.
Donald Trump escalated a public dispute with fellow Republican Tom Cotton over proposed daylight saving time changes on Saturday by publishing what appeared to be the Arkansas senator’s private phone number on Truth Social.
He urged voters to call the lawmaker directly and demand action on a stalled clock-change bill.
When journalists from the Daily Mail attempted to dial the number, it went straight to a full voicemail inbox.
The dispute focuses on the Sunshine Protection Act, which passed the House in July but faces opposition in the Senate.
Trump supports year-round daylight saving time because extra evening sun boosts local businesses and gives golfers more time on the greens.
He noted on social media that nobody enjoys driving home in total darkness right after clocks fall back.
Dark winter mornings
Cotton reiterated his opposition to the proposal on social media.
The Arkansas senator pointed out that historical attempts at year-round daylight saving were quickly repealed after widespread public backlash over dangerously dark winter sunrises.
“Arkansans don’t want their kids going to school in the pitch dark, and I´ll always put Arkansas first,” Cotton wrote.
Trump struck back immediately. He claimed Cotton would truly put his home state first by saving local families from the hassle of resetting their clocks twice a year, according to the Daily Mail.
Previous incidents
It is not the first time Trump has published a political opponent’s private phone number. During the 2016 primary campaign, he released Senator Lindsey Graham’s mobile number, the Daily Mail reports.
Back in 2016, he publicized Lindsey Graham’s mobile number, which famously inspired the South Carolina senator to record a clip of himself smashing old flip phones.
While public opinion surveys show that most Americans dislike shifting their clocks twice annually, politicians remain split on whether to freeze standard time or lock in permanent daylight saving.
The bigger clock debate
The dispute goes beyond the inconvenience of changing clocks twice a year, according to The Guardian.
The real question is whether Americans should keep permanent daylight saving time or remain on standard time throughout the year.
Previous attempts to keep daylight saving time permanently have been abandoned after complaints about extremely late winter sunrises.
Under the current proposal, states would also be allowed to opt out and remain on permanent standard time, meaning the debate is ultimately about where Americans want that extra hour of daylight — in the morning or in the evening.
