USA04 October, 20262 min read
Trump Shares Tom Cotton’s Phone Number To Pressure Arkansas Over Permanent Daylight Saving Time
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Trump published Cotton's cell phone number on Truth Social to pressure for Sunshine Protection Act. Arkansas residents urged to call Cotton to back permanent daylight saving time.
17 outlets told this the same way.
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Trump targets Cotton
President Donald Trump shared online a phone number he said belonged to Senator Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, in an escalating dispute over making daylight saving time permanent. Trump urged people to call the number in a Truth Social post, where he said, "To all residents of Arkansas: Tom Cotton, a friend of mine, is blocking a very important bill." Trump framed the Sunshine Protection Act as a measure that would end the twice-yearly practice of changing clocks by one hour, and he urged Arkansas residents to pressure Cotton to support it.
Cotton opposed the bill, and he argued that permanent daylight saving time would leave early risers in the dark during the winter months. Fox News Digital reported that it called the number associated with the Dardanelle, Arkansas area code but did not reach Cotton.
Voicemail and warnings
CNN reported that Cotton’s voicemail was full when it called the number Trump posted, and CNN said the phone rang three times before an automated voice indicated the mobile user was unavailable. Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro told CNN that Trump put Cotton "in danger" by sharing his mobile number, adding "the possibility that China, Russia, or some non-state actor could hack" the device. Cotton’s team did not immediately respond to Trump’s post, and the AP agency attempted to reach him without success.
Cotton reiterated his opposition in a post of his own, writing, "Arkansas residents don’t want their kids going to school in total darkness, and I will always put Arkansas first." Trump also posted that it was "very easy to do" in the Senate and that it only took one vote, according to Fox News.
Bill’s path in Congress
The House of Representatives approved the Sunshine Protection Act in July by 308 votes in favor and 117 against, but the Senate has not advanced on the issue since then.
Fox News said the Senate was out of session until Nov. 3 and unable to vote on the bill until after the midterm elections.
El Horizonte said the proposal still faced resistance in the Senate even among members of the president’s party, and it said the next adjustment was scheduled for Sunday, November 1, when at 2:00 a.m. local time clocks must be set back one hour in parts of the United States that observe daylight saving time.
Cotton warned that permanent daylight saving time would delay sunrises during winter and that children would have to leave for school in the dark.
Trump argued that "having sunlight in the afternoon is better than in the morning" and said the change would give professional golfers more time on the course.