Donald Trump wants Arkansans to call Tom Cotton’s personal cellphone number to push a daylight saving time bill through the Senate. The president posted the number Saturday, urging supporters to contact the Arkansas senator directly.
The Sunshine Protection Act passed the House in July with a 308 to 117 vote. Trump called the passage “Great News for America!” at the time. Now he is pressuring Cotton to get it across the finish line.
The Bill’s Road So Far
The bill would make daylight saving time permanent. Proponents, including the White House, argue it provides more daylight during peak hours. Detractors say darker winter mornings could be hazardous, especially for children waiting for school buses and parents driving to work in darkness.
Not all states observe daylight saving time, and under the bill, states can opt out if their legislatures act before enactment.
Trump’s Shifting Stance
Trump has changed his position on daylight saving time throughout his presidency. He has called for eliminating it and for making it permanent. His posts from Saturday suggest he now wants it permanently in place.
“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 social media. He noted that passing the bill would give professional golfers more time on the greens. “So, everyone in Arkansas, a State I love, and won 3 times, the last by by 34 points, tell Tom to, GET IT DONE! It will be appreciated by all,” he added.
The Number Trump Posted
Trump included a phone number with an Arkansas area code in his post. This is not the first time he has released personal information about a senator.
In 2016, when competing for the Republican presidential nomination, Trump released the personal cellphone number of Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina after Graham described Trump as “unfit for office” following Trump’s denigration of Sen. John McCain’s military service. That prompted a viral video in which Graham dramatically destroyed a series of flip phones. Graham later became a close ally of Trump.
Cotton Pushes Back
Cotton, a member of Republican leadership, reiterated his opposition to permanent daylight saving time in a social media post Saturday afternoon. He is not the only Republican who opposes it.
“No one likes changing the clock, me included, but Congress has enacted permanent Daylight Savings Time multiple times before and repealed it each time once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter,” Cotton wrote. “Arkansans don’t want their kids going to school in the pitch dark, and I’ll always put Arkansas first.”
Trump’s Response
Trump fired back shortly after Cotton’s post. “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,” he said.
A Long History of Debate
Members of Congress have been debating the costs and benefits of daylight saving time since it was first adopted as a wartime measure in 1942. The Senate passed a bill four years ago to make it permanent, but it stalled in the House.
The current bill faces similar roadblocks. Some Republicans are strongly opposed, and Cotton’s position is a visible example of that resistance.
The Sequence of Events
- The Sunshine Protection Act passed the House in July with a 308 to 117 vote.
- Trump called the passage “Great News for America!” at the time.
- Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, opposed the bill publicly Saturday.
- Trump included a phone number with an Arkansas area code Saturday, urging supporters to contact him.
- Cotton responded with his own post, repeating his opposition.
- Trump replied to Cotton’s post, defending the bill’s merits.
The Irony
The irony is thick. The president who once released a senator’s personal number is now asking supporters to use a posted number to pressure that same senator. Cotton, for his part, is doing what a senator does: explaining his position and sticking to it.
The bill’s fate remains unclear. The next few days will show how the fight plays out.
Key Facts Box
- Bill: Sunshine Protection Act
- House vote: 308 to 117
- Trump’s reaction: “Great News for America!”
- States can opt out: Before bill enactment
- Senate action four years ago: Passed, stalled in House
The sequence of events shows a president bypassing normal channels and appealing directly to the public. Cotton’s response shows a senator refusing to bend.
Trump is asking Arkansans to do something unusual: call a sitting senator’s personal cellphone number. Cotton is asking Arkansans to consider darker winter mornings. Both are fighting the same battle in full public view.
The irony is thick. The president who once released a senator’s personal number is now asking supporters to use a posted number to pressure that same senator. Cotton, for his part, is doing what a senator does: explaining his position and sticking to it.
The bill’s fate remains unclear. The next few days will show how the fight plays out.
See the video the story is built around at CBS News.
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