The Hill
Trump wants to end daylight saving time: We’ve tried before — here’s what happened
by Addy Bink - 12/15/24 4:40 PM ET
(NEXSTAR) — Days before President-elect Donald Trump secured a second term in office, the majority of the U.S. saw daylight saving time come to an end, thrusting us into the winter tradition of early sunsets. Now, Trump is taking aim at the bi-annual custom.
In a recent post to Truth Social, Trump said Republicans will push to eliminate the “inconvenient” and “costly” practice. This comes after the leaders of the new “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE), Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, called to abolish daylight saving time.
While Trump has not confirmed which side of the clock he’s on — permanent daylight saving or standard time — there has been a growing interest to ditch the practice. Polls have shown Americans prefer permanent daylight saving time, with multiple state and federal lawmakers agreeing.
Health experts, however, say permanent standard time is “undeniably” better for us. We’ve also seen permanent daylight saving time flounder before.
A back-and-forth relationship with the clocks
In 1918, the U.S. started observing daylight saving time as a wartime measure to save energy, but that lasted for only a year. It came back in 1942 during World War II but was so chaotic as states and localities were allowed to decide when they wanted to switch between daylight saving and standard times.
In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act to standardize the twice-a-year changing of the clocks. However, amidst a national energy crisis in 1973, the U.S. again observed year-round daylight saving time.
President Richard Nixon signed an emergency daylight saving time bill into law. At first, it was well-liked, receiving a nearly 80% approval rate in December 1973, according to the New York Times.
It wouldn’t last, however.
Soon, parents were sending their children off to school in morning darkness — in some parts of the country, the sun would not rise until nearly 9 a.m. — prompting safety concerns. There were multiple incidents nationwide of children being struck by vehicles while on their way to school, including eight fatalities in Florida.
While the U.S. Department of Transportation found no clear evidence on traffic accidents in relation to year-round daylight saving time — it also found that energy savings were between 0.4% and 1.5% — public opinion of the practice had dropped to 42% by February 1974.
Eight months later, in October 1974, President Gerald Ford signed a bill to put the U.S. on standard time for four months of the year. We’ve largely been on the same schedule ever since.
Why experts want year-round standard time
It’s permanent standard time that health experts agree on, largely because of the increased amount of sunlight we would get in the mornings.
It would be better for our circadian rhythm, which could improve other health aspects like blood pressure, heart rate, and cortisol levels, Dr. Alaina Tiani, a clinical health psychologist who specializes in behavioral sleep medicine at the Cleveland Clinic’s Sleep Disorder Center, told Nexstar. Studies have also shown relationships between sleep and circadian rhythm deprivation and mental health problems, drug use, speeding, delinquent behaviors, educational performance, and employment salaries.
Can the clocks be locked?
In short, yes. It would take an act of Congress. Many states have already enacted legislation calling on Congress to do just that.
What if we didn’t ‘fall back’ when daylight saving time ends?
Multiple bills have been introduced to enact permanent daylight saving time but all have stalled. However, Republicans will control the House and Senate in 2025, and could be nudged to pass legislation following Trump’s remarks.
For now, daylight saving time is set to begin on March 9, 2025.
Update 07/16/2026:
The Hill
US tried permanent daylight saving time once before. It didn’t last
by Ashleigh Fields - 07/16/26 9:22 AM ET
The U.S. previously tried to incorporate permanent daylight saving time for a trial period from between 1974 and 1975.
The experiment occurred under former President Nixon, who signed the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act into law in an effort to conserve fuel following the Arab oil embargo in 1973.
However, the measure was quickly repealed.
It was deeply unpopular among citizens because it forced Americans and schoolchildren to commute in pitch-black winter mornings, leading to traffic accidents and other deadly incidents due to the lack of sunlight during certain hours.
In parts of the country, the sun did not rise until after 9 a.m.
Although there was a public outcry to remove permanent daylight saving time more than 50 years ago, lawmakers are considering reinstating it through the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025.
The bill passed in the House earlier this week in a vote of 308-117 with broad bipartisan support. It now heads to the Senate for further consideration.
President Trump said the legislation “is so important in that Hundreds of Millions of Dollars are spent every year by people, Cities, and States, being forced to change their Clocks.”
“I am going to work very hard to see The Sunshine Protection Act signed into Law. It’s time that people can stop worrying about the ‘Clock,’ not to mention all of the work and money that is spent on this ridiculous, twice yearly production. It will also be a very nice WIN for the Republican Party. Take it!” Trump added in a Truth Social post.
While most states adjust the clock to accommodate for daylight hours, Hawaii and Arizona stick to standard time all year.
Currently, only about a third of the world observes daylight saving time.
It is primarily practiced in North America, Europe and parts of Australia and New Zealand.
Most countries in Africa, South America and Asia — including China and India — do not change their clocks.
If the U.S. adopts permanent daylight saving time, it would require the time zones across the world to be readjusted.
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