Daylight Saving Time begins on March 9 in the U.S., requiring most people to advance their clocks by an hour. However, this practice could be altered if President Donald Trump acts on his previous statements regarding it.
Daylight Saving Time has faced long-standing criticism. Most countries don’t observe it, and many Americans have they want to discontinue the biannual clock changes. Trump has voiced his support for ending it, but attempts to do so have , with only Hawaii and most of Arizona abstaining from Daylight Saving Time.
Here’s an overview of Trump’s comments on Daylight Saving Time and potential future changes.
What has Trump said so far about Daylight Saving Time?
On December 13, 2024, Trump stated on Truth Social, “The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation.”
Despite this post, Trump has not taken any action on the matter since assuming the presidency, leaving experts uncertain about potential changes.
According to David Prerau, author of Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time, there are three possibilities: maintaining the current system of biannual clock changes, making Daylight Saving Time permanent, or making Standard Time permanent.
Prerau notes, “[Trump] said it in a very short sentence without detail so it isn’t clear which of those he meant. Most people don’t even realize that there are two other options.”
The White House has not yet responded to requests for clarification on Trump’s plans for Daylight Saving Time.
What would permanent Daylight Saving Time look like?
Daylight Saving Time is intended to maximize daylight usage during evenings in warmer months. Permanent Daylight Saving Time would mean keeping clocks advanced by an hour year-round, shifting sunrise and sunset times later, even in winter, according to Prerau.
Past legislative efforts include the bipartisan Sunshine Protection Act, which aimed to establish year-round Daylight Saving Time. Although the bill stalled, it was recently reintroduced by Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida. Supporters argue that changing clocks twice a year is a disruptive inconvenience.
Scott stated in a January 8 press release about reintroducing the bill, “I hear from Americans constantly that they are sick and tired of changing their clocks twice a year—it’s an unnecessary, decades-old practice that’s more of an annoyance to families than benefit to them. I’m excited to have President Trump back in the White House and fully on board to LOCK THE CLOCK so we can get this good bill passed and make this common-sense change that will simplify and benefit the lives of American families.”
Trump previously expressed support for this, in 2019, “Making Daylight Saving Time permanent is O.K. with me!”
Prerau notes that the U.S. previously implemented permanent Daylight Saving Time in 1974 during an energy crisis. However, it was unpopular due to later morning sunrises, causing many to travel to work or school in darkness. The change was less than a year later. “We have tried that year-round Daylight Saving Time, and it proved very unpopular nationally,” Prerau says.
Dr. David Kuhlmann, a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), states that while the AASM supports ending seasonal time changes, it favors permanent Standard Time over Daylight Saving Time, arguing it better aligns with our circadian rhythms and promotes health and safety.
“[If we had permanent Daylight Saving Time] people would be waking up in darkness, and likely be going to work in darkness … versus being able to get up with the more natural rhythm of the sun,” Kuhlmann says.
What would permanent Standard Time look like?
Permanent Standard Time would involve setting clocks back an hour throughout the year, causing earlier sunrises and sunsets in both winter and summer.
Many health and sleep experts advocate for permanent Standard Time due to its health benefits. Kuhlmann explains that switching between Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time disrupts sleep and circadian rhythms, leading to adverse health effects. Studies link Daylight Saving Time to increased risks of and , among other issues. The “circadian misalignment” caused by Daylight Saving Time persists for the entire eight months it is in effect.
Kuhlmann notes that permanent Standard Time would generally allow people to wake up with the sun year-round, better aligning with circadian rhythms and promoting better health.
“From a circadian alignment perspective … it’s really the only choice that’s healthy,” Kuhlmann says.
Prerau argues that the downside of permanent Standard Time is that many people would likely still be asleep during the earlier summer sunrise and would not benefit from extended evening daylight. He suggests improving public awareness through public service announcements to help people adapt to seasonal time changes instead of altering the current system. “The current system is really a compromise between those two possibilities and it’s actually, in my opinion, better than either one because you’re getting the best of both,” Prerau says.
