Republican President-elect Donald Trump wants to end daylight saving time and that has revived what has been a longtime and confusing subject. The Hill reported that Trump’s Friday, Dec. 13, announcement on his Truth Social platform has created a Republican brouhaha, which is defined as “a noisy and overexcited reaction to something.”

Newsweek reported this is what Trump said: “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.”

Elon Musk, whom some Democrats call the “shadow president,” back on Nov. 27 said on X, formerly Twitter, “Looks like the people want to abolish the annoying time changes!”

Nexstar Media Group wrote about “a back-and-forth relationship with the clocks.”

The U.S. started observing daylight saving time in 1918 as a wartime measure to save energy, but that lasted for only a year. Nexstar said it returned in 1942 during World War II but was so chaotic states and localities were allowed to switch between DST and standard time.

In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act to standardize the twice-a-year changing of the clocks. However, a 1973 national energy crisis had the U.S. observing year-round daylight saving time.

Eight months later, in October 1974, President Gerald Ford signed a bill to put the U.S. on standard time for four months of the year. And the U.S. has been largely on that same schedule ever since.

The Hill reported that U.S. Rep. Greg Steube, R-Florida, said of Trump’s comments, “I’m confused. I think he just doesn’t want the clocks to go back and forth.” Steube was a major proponent of the Sunshine Protection Act, a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent but allow states to opt in standard time.

Florida in 2018 adopted legislation for year-round daylight saving time, which means the sun rises later in the morning and daylight lasts longer in the evening. However, congressional approval is required to allow Florida and other states to observe daylight saving time year-round.

The Uniform Time Act only allows states to opt out of observing daylight saving time, which is how Arizona is able to stay on standard time year-round.

The Hill reported that Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, said in response to Trump on social platform X, “The only sensible and durable way to stop the biannual time change is to make standard time permanent. I will work on this issue with @realDonaldTrump.”

A contributing news writer for the American Medical Association said the American Academy of Sleep Medicine is unequivocal in advocating elimination of daylight saving time. In 2022, the AMA House of Delegates also supported ending daylight saving time.

Newsweek said according to a 2022 YouGov poll, almost two-thirds of the 1,000 U.S. adults surveyed wanted to end time changes. However, 53% of those polled said they wanted to make daylight saving time permanent compared to 32% who preferred standard time.

The Shreveport Times reported Monday that Louisiana will be ready if Trump convinces Congress to end daylight saving time. State Rep. Dodie Horton, R-Haughton, sponsored a 2022 law that would trigger the end of daylight saving time to make it permanent in the state if Congress acts on Trump’s plan.

Dr. Karin Johnson, sleep medicine physician and co-chair of the Coalition for Permanent Standard Time, said back in October, “We know from decades of research that seasonal time changes are disruptive to our health. The shift to daylight saving time in the spring has been linked to an increase in motor vehicle accidents, cardiovascular events, and medical error in the days following the change.”

The Hill said Trump’s comments on the time change “have seemingly confused some lawmakers who thought he was on their side.” Others said just pick one (time), it doesn’t matter which one. The report said time change isn’t on their list of priorities.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, surprisingly got the Senate almost three years ago to support locking the clock on daylight saving time. However, the House never took up the issue.

If Trump eventually clears up which way he wants to go, that might do the job. However, there is so much division in Congress, it’s my guess we will still be changing our clocks on March 9, 2025.

Jim Beam, the retired editor of the American Press, has covered people and politics for more than six decades. Contact him at 337-515-8871 or jim.beam.press@gmail.com.

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