Trump posts Republican senator's phone number over daylight saving bill
In short
US President Donald Trump posted the mobile phone number of Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas on Truth Social, saying Cotton was blocking the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent. The Associated Press called the number and got no answer, with the voicemail full, Yonhap reported. Cotton rejected the pressure, saying Arkansans do not want children going to school in the dark.
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US President Donald Trump posted the mobile phone number of Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas on his Truth Social account on Oct. 3 local time, saying Cotton was blocking passage of a very important bill. Trump identified the legislation as the Sunshine Protection Act, or the act against having to set clocks twice a year, and told Arkansans to let their senator know the bill would be a great bipartisan win for the Senate and the United States. He listed his reasons for wanting daylight saving time made permanent before publishing the number. [ 1 , 2 ]
The Associated Press called the number Trump posted; no one answered and the voicemail was already full, according to Yonhap and the Seoul Economic Daily, both citing AP. Cotton did not shift his position. On social media he said Arkansans do not want their children going to school in pitch darkness, adding that he will always put Arkansas first, the two outlets reported. [ 1 , 2 ]
The Sunshine Protection Act would keep daylight saving time in place year-round. It passed the US House in July with 308 votes in favour and 117 against, but passage in the Senate is uncertain because regional interests divide lawmakers on permanent daylight saving time. Supporters, including Trump, argue it makes better use of energy and reduces the social costs of the annual clock change; opponents point to problems such as students and commuters travelling in the dark on winter mornings. [ 1 , 2 ]
Daylight saving time was introduced in the United States in 1942 to save energy by using daylight during active hours and to boost economic activity, according to Yonhap. It normally applies from March to October, when the time difference between Korea and the US east coast is 13 hours; from November to February, under standard time, the gap is 14 hours. Both outlets noted that this is not the first time Trump has published a political opponent's personal contact details, citing AP: in 2016, during the Republican presidential primary, he disclosed the personal mobile number of the late Senator Lindsey Graham after Graham called him unfit for public office. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
The dispute decides the fate of legislation that would end twice-yearly clock changes in the United States, which also determines whether the time difference between Korea and the US east coast is 13 or 14 hours. The episode also shows a sitting president using his own supporters to pressure a senator from his own party over a stalled bill.
Key facts
- Trump named Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton on Truth Social on Oct. 3 local time, saying Cotton was blocking passage of a very important bill, the Sunshine Protection Act. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Trump published Cotton's mobile phone number and told Arkansans to let their senator know the bill would be a great bipartisan win for the Senate and the United States. [ 1 , 2 ]
- AP called the number Trump posted; no one answered and the voicemail was full. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Cotton reaffirmed his opposition, saying Arkansans do not want children going to school in the dark and that he always puts Arkansas first. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The Sunshine Protection Act passed the US House in July by 308 votes to 117; its passage in the Senate is uncertain. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Daylight saving time was introduced in the United States in 1942 and normally runs from March to October, when the time difference with Korea is 13 hours, against 14 hours from November to February. [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Trump posted Cotton's mobile phone number on Truth Social after naming him as an obstacle to the Sunshine Protection Act. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Cotton maintained his opposition to making daylight saving time permanent. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The bill passed the House in July with 308 votes in favour and 117 against, and Senate passage is uncertain. [ 1 , 2 ]
- AP called the number Trump published and received no answer, with the voicemail full. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Daylight saving time was introduced in the US in 1942, and the time difference with Korea is 13 hours during the March-October period and 14 hours from November to February. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the Senate will pass the Sunshine Protection Act. Both Yonhap and the Seoul Economic Daily say only that Senate passage is uncertain, without a date or vote count.
- Whether Trump explicitly called on supporters to phone Cotton. The documents say Trump published the number and asked Arkansans to make the bill's case to their senator; the Seoul Economic Daily describes the move as being read as a call to supporters to protest, which is an interpretation rather than a quoted instruction.
- Whether Cotton or his office commented beyond his social media post. Neither document reports a reply from Cotton's office or a direct response to Trump, and only the unanswered AP call is described.
- Where the posts and the disclosure took place. The documents give no city or venue for Trump's Truth Social post.