Trump Publicly Targets Senator Tom Cotton Over Daylight Saving Time Bill

• by Shimanta Das
• October 7, 2026

Former President Donald Trump has publicly criticized Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) for allegedly blocking the Sunshine Protection Act, a bill that would make Daylight Saving Time permanent nationwide. In a post on his social media platform, Trump wrote, “Everybody in Arkansas, Tom Cotton, a friend of mine, is holding up a very important Bill.” He added, “If Tom Cotton were putting Arkansas first, he would give them an extra hour of daylight and, more importantly, they wouldn’t have to run all over their houses, farms, work places, and everywhere else, twice a year, having to change their Clocks, and often forgetting to do so.” Trump also attached a letter from PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp expressing “the Tour’s strong support for the Sunshine Protection Act.”

The legislation, which would end the semiannual clock change, has bipartisan backing but remains stalled in the Senate. The House passed the bill 308-117 on July 14, yet it has not advanced in the upper chamber. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has not scheduled a vote, and Republican senators remain divided on the issue. Trump’s attack on Cotton highlights the internal GOP friction over the bill, even as Trump himself has long criticized the clock change—though his position on whether to stay on standard time or Daylight Saving Time year-round has shifted over time.

The dispute underscores broader tensions within the Republican Party, where personal feuds and policy disagreements often collide. Trump’s public targeting of Cotton, a fellow Republican, is reminiscent of his 2016 primary stunt when he shared Senator Lindsey Graham’s personal cellphone number at a rally. The Sunshine Protection Act’s stalled status also raises questions about the Senate’s ability to move popular legislation, especially when key members like Cotton object. Supporters argue that permanent Daylight Saving Time would provide more evening daylight and eliminate the disruption of changing clocks, while critics worry about darker winter mornings in several major US cities.

As the bill remains in limbo, Trump’s pressure on Cotton may intensify the debate. Whether it will break the logjam in the Senate is uncertain, but it has certainly drawn fresh attention to the long-debated issue of daylight saving time.