Trump urges Congress to pass daylight saving bill after ‘ridiculous’ early sunset

President Trump on Wednesday called on Congress to pass the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent, after the day’s “ridiculous” early sunset.

“Too bad the Senate has not yet approved the Sunshine Protection Act or, the ‘I Don’t Want to Change My Clocks Anymore Act,'” he wrote on Truth Social . “It’s so dark outside, so early (Sunset was 5:06 P.M., and it was dark by 5:31 P.M. — Isn’t that ridiculous?). Just a few days ago it was so nice and sunny at this same time.”

“In addition, everyone’s been running around changing their clocks all over the place,” Trump continued. “I didn’t want to make a big deal out of this prior to the Election because I didn’t want to have certain Senators lose their Race, in a landslide, but it is too bad they can’t get it done.”

The president concluded that the “House sent it over to the Senate with great bipartisan support, numerous times (308-117), but the Senate didn’t take it up. We have far bigger priorities, but I will keep fighting for this.”

Trump has been a big proponent of the bill, which the House passed earlier this year but the Senate has yet to pick it up. The bill would end the semiannual clock change.

He previously said the clock change was “ridiculous” during a rally in Mississippi last month, adding that it “drives everyone crazy, which nobody wants to do anymore.” The president also pointed to data that shows how less crime is committed when it’s brighter outside in the early evening, going further to say that it costs the U.S. “a fortune” and is “bad for Crime.”

Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.) and Pat Harrigan (R-N.C.) introduced the Sunshine for Our Kids Act to establish a permanent standard time always seen from November to March. They noted that more sunlight in the evenings would leave mornings dark for children going to school and commuters leaving for work.

Staunch Trump supporter Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), however, has been a vocal opponent against the legislation. He argued on the social platform X in October that while “no one likes changing the clock, me included,” Congress has made daylight saving time permanent before and repealed it “once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter.”

An AP-NORC poll released last month found that 12 percent of U.S. adults favor the twice-a-year change and 47 percent oppose it, with 40 percent who say they are indifferent about it. Fifty-six percent said they prefer year-round daylight saving time, and 42 percent prefer standard daylight time all year.