Trump releases Senator Cotton's phone number amid dispute over daylight saving time

US President Donald Trump has published the telephone number of Republican Senator Tom Cotton in the dispute over the permanent introduction of daylight saving time. Cotton is a friend of his, Trump wrote on Truth Social. But he is blocking a “very important” bill: the “Sunshine Potection Act,” which would end the biannual time change. "For some reason Tom is blocking the bill, and in the Senate it's easy, just one vote!"

Trump urged the people of Arkansas to call their senator and let him know the bill would be a huge success. “Call Tom on his cell phone,” Trump wrote – followed by the phone number. At around 4 a.m. German time, only one voicemail could be reached at this number, which could not be assigned to the senator. The announcement read: “There is not enough space to leave a message.”

Trump said late afternoon sunshine was better than early morning sunshine. Golfers on the PGA Tour, for example, needed more daylight in the afternoon to finish their tournaments. The same applies to amateur golfers, tennis players, hunters and farmers. “Nobody wants to spend their precious time running around changing the clocks twice a year,” said Trump.

Senator Cotton reacted to the US President's post: Nobody likes to change the clock, not even him, he wrote on ​X. "But Congress has already implemented permanent daylight saving time several times and has abolished it each time when Americans were faced with absurdly late sunrises in the winter." The citizens of Arkansas did not want their children to go to school in the pitch black. And for him, Arkansas always comes first.

As in Europe, the clocks in the USA - with the exception of Hawaii and most of Arizona - change twice a year. In spring the hands are moved forward one hour and back again in autumn. Debates about abolition are similar on both sides of the Atlantic.

The US House of Representatives had already approved the “Sunshine Potection Act” in July. However, he faces resistance in the Senate.