Trump shares Senator Cotton's phone number in dispute over permanent daylight saving time

Escalation over the Sunshine Protection Act

United States President Donald Trump posted what appeared to be the personal telephone number of Republican Senator Tom Cotton on Saturday, October 3, 2026, urging voters to pressure the lawmaker over daylight saving time legislation. In a message published on his Truth Social platform, Trump called Cotton a friend while asserting that the Arkansas senator was single-handedly stalling the Sunshine Protection Act in the Senate. Trump cited his electoral record in Arkansas, pointing out that he carried the state three times, most recently by a margin of 34 percentage points. Calls made to the shared Arkansas telephone number connected directly to an automated voicemail inbox that did not identify the owner. The social media post marked Trump's second public message within two days criticizing Cotton, who serves as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. The incident mirrors a 2016 Republican presidential primary dispute, when Trump publicly shared the cellphone number of Senator Lindsey Graham.

Legislative gridlock in the Senate

The policy conflict centers on federal legislation to make daylight saving time permanent, eliminating the twice-yearly ritual of adjusting clocks by one hour. Most US states have observed seasonal time changes since the 1960s, with clocks across the country scheduled to return to standard time on November 1, 2026. The House of Representatives passed the Sunshine Protection Act in July 2026, including an opt-out mechanism allowing individual state legislatures to remain on standard time before federal enactment. Despite approval in the House, the measure faces resistance within the Republican-led Senate, where single members can obstruct legislation. Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana described the bill this week as dead as disco, predicting that Senate Majority Leader John Thune would decline to bring the measure to the floor for a vote. Neither Cotton's office nor Thune's office responded to requests for comment on Saturday.

Competing arguments over winter daylight

Supporters of the legislation argue that permanent daylight saving time offers recreational and economic benefits by extending sunlight hours during late afternoons throughout the year. Trump cited several groups backing the bill, including farmers, hunters, tennis players, and professional golfers. The president shared an October 1, 2026 letter from Brian Rolapp, the chief executive of the PGA Tour, who explained that professional golf tournaments require additional evening light to conclude scheduled rounds without interruption.

The PGA TOUR, as an example, needs more Daylight in the afternoon in order to finish their Tournaments.

Cotton defended his resistance on social media, emphasizing the impact of later sunrises on rural communities, agricultural workers, and morning school commutes. The Arkansas senator referenced past congressional measures that established permanent daylight saving time before being repealed due to public complaints about dark winter mornings. In previous remarks on the Senate floor in October, Cotton stated that he would always oppose permanent daylight saving time, arguing that it would make winter dark and dismal for millions of citizens while placing schoolchildren at risk in morning traffic.

No one likes changing the clock, me included, but Congress has tried permanent daylight saving time multiple times in the past and repealed it each time after Americans faced absurdly late sunrises in the winter.