• Posted December 16, 2024

Trump Says He'll Try to Rid U.S. of Daylight Saving Time

President-elect Donald Trump is calling for an end to daylight saving time, a practice he described as inconvenient and costly.

“The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t!” Trump wrote in an X post on Friday.

The biannual clock change, which has been used in the United States since World War II, is meant to make the most of daylight hours during the summer months. However, it has faced criticism for its impact on health, productivity, and overall convenience.

Efforts to eliminate daylight saving time have come up in Congress before, most notably through the stalled Sunshine Protection Act. Sponsored by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, the bipartisan bill sought to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide.

Trump has tapped Rubio to lead the State Department in his new administration.

"Changing the clock twice a year is outdated and unnecessary,” said Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida when the Senate first approved the Sunshine Protection Act in 2022, according to an AP News report.

Most of the world does not observe daylight saving time, and some U.S. states already opt out. Both Arizona and Hawaii remain on standard time year-round.