Cotton holds the line on blocking end to daylight saving time after Trump publicizes his phone number

Cotton responded via X, saying he would not bend to any amount of pressure and would "always put Arkansas first."

The standoff came after Trump on Saturday appeared to publicly share Cotton’s cell-phone number and encouraged Cotton’s constituents to call him directly to demand he allow the legislation to advance.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Cotton of holding up the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent.

“Tom is stopping the Bill and, in the Senate, it’s very easy to do, it only takes one! It should pass overwhelmingly, in a Bipartisan fashion,” Trump wrote. “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.”

“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!” Trump continued. “The PGA TOUR, as an example, needs more Daylight in the afternoon in order to finish their Tournaments. Likewise, regular Golfers, Tennis Players, Hunters and, perhaps most importantly, Farmers who want more Daylight to play or work.”

“Almost everybody wants ‘The Sunshine Protection Act’ to pass, except for Tom Cotton. To the Great People of Arkansas, please let your Senator know it would be a GREAT Bipartisan WIN for the United States Senate, and for America, itself,” the president added.

Cotton pushed back against Trump’s criticism in his post, writing, “No one likes changing the clock, me included, but Congress has enacted permanent Daylight Saving Time multiple times before and repealed it each time once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter. Arkansans don’t want their kids going to school in the pitch dark, and I’ll always put Arkansas first.”

Trump has repeatedly called on Congress to make daylight saving time permanent. The Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 passed the House overwhelmingly in July but has not cleared the Senate.

Trump also addressed the issue while speaking to reporters at the White House. He called the clock change a “ridiculous custom” that creates unnecessary problems. He also claimed it was a “100 percent issue” that Americans overwhelmingly support.