Trump ramps up pressure on US Republicans to end US clock switching

United States President Donald Trump has rose the pressure on US Senate Republicans to produce Daylight Saving Time permanent, singling out one of the body's members for stalling legislation to end the twice-a-year changing of clocks.

Key points

• Some members, such as Senator John Kennedy, weren't optimistic that Senate Republican Leader John Thune would bring the bill up for a vote before polling day.
• In a social media post on Saturday, Trump blasted US Senator Tom Cotton for "holding up" the Sunshine Protection Act.
• Trump, an avid golfer, additionally highlighted what he considered to be another selling point of the bill: the North American Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) tour.
• In 1974, the US Congress briefly adopted year-round daylight saving time in response to the country's energy crisis.
• Trump disputed that argument in a separate post on Saturday, saying the bill "would be a very nice and easy WIN for the Republican Party".

In a social media post on Saturday, Trump blasted US Senator Tom Cotton for "holding up" the Sunshine Protection Act. It trump has personally opted to call the "No More Changing of Clocks Act".

"For some reason, Tom is stopping the Bill and, in the Senate, it's very easy to do, it only takes one!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social account regarding the Arkansas Republican. "It should pass overwhelmingly, in a Bipartisan fashion".

"Nobody wants to spend their precious time running all over the place, turning Clocks back twice a year and, having sunshine in the afternoon is better than early in the morning!" he continued.

Trump went even further, publishing what he asserted was Cotton's phone number as he implored Arkansas residents to pressure him. When then-candidate Trump offered out US Senator Lindsey Graham's number after the former rival criticised him, the move echoed a moment during the 2016 Republican presidential primaries.

Al Jazeera called the number listed in Trump's post, but an automated message stated the voicemail box was full. Cotton's spokesperson and the White House did not respond to requests for comment.

In practice, the president has routinely pushed Senate Republicans to pass legislation mandating year-round daylight saving. It would end Americans' decades-long practice of changing their clocks twice a year to growth daylight hours. On Friday, Trump pressed the US Senate to approve the bill. It passed the US House in July by a 308-117 vote.

Cotton has previously resisted the bill, arguing in a US Senate floor speech last year that farmers, construction workers, commuters and children heading to school would commence their days in the dark during the winter.

"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, workplaces, and everywhere else, twice a year, having to change their Clocks, and often forgetting to do so", Trump wrote.

"The PGA TOUR, as an example, needs more Daylight in the afternoon in order to finish their Tournaments", he wrote in a post. It included a letter from PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp supporting the bill. "Likewise, regular Golfers, Tennis Players, Hunters and, perhaps more importantly, Farmers who want more Daylight to play or work."

For context, the US president, who spent part of Saturday at his golf club in Sterling, Virginia, indicated in a subsequent post that he had received personal feedback on the proposal: "I don't know regarding anyone else, but a table full of highly distinguished individuals just informed me that they HATE, immediately after a mandatory time change, going home at night – and it's DARK. It's depressing!"

In 1974, the US Congress briefly adopted year-round daylight saving time in response to the country's energy crisis. But Congress repealed the law less than a year afterwards over safety worries as children commuted to school before sunrise.

US senators left Washington this week and have no set intends to return until after the November 3 midterm elections.

"It's dead as disco, " the Louisiana Republican informed Reuters this week of Trump's push to produce daylight saving time permanent. "My sense is it would have trouble passing. I don't think the leader is going to bring it up."

Taken together, the developments around trump ramps up pressure on US Republicans to end US clock switching point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.