President Donald Trump is carefully distancing himself from the ongoing and polarized debate over daylight-saving time (DST).
In December 2024, Trump announced on Truth Social that he would end DST and make standard time permanent, citing its inconvenience and high costs. This would mean the U.S. would stop adjusting the clocks forward in March, a move that provides more evening sunlight during summer months (with clocks set to spring forward on March 9 this year). This change would have been supported by health experts and economists, as research links DST to various health issues, including premature death, accidents, and higher energy bills in certain states. While states like Hawaii and Arizona have already abandoned DST, many others are considering the same. However, several of Trump’s Republican colleagues oppose this idea. In January, Florida Senator Rick Scott revived the Sunshine Protection Act to make DST permanent, a bill passed unanimously by the Senate in 2022 but stalled in the House. Scott and his ally, Senator Marco Rubio, have the support of golf industry lobbyists who argue that extended daylight helps afternoon golf leagues, which generate significant revenue. As the debate over DST becomes increasingly complex, Trump recently suggested he is stepping back from the issue. “It’s a 50/50 issue, and if something is 50/50, it’s hard to get excited about it,” Trump remarked. “I assume people want more light later, but some people prefer more light earlier, especially to avoid taking their kids to school in the dark.”
