Trump Promises to End ‘Very Costly’ Daylight Saving Time

US President-elect Donald Trump has announced his intention to eliminate daylight saving time (DST), calling it “inconvenient” and “very costly” for Americans.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump criticized DST, stating that while it has “a small but strong constituency,” it should be discontinued. He also mentioned that his Republican party would work towards ending the practice.

Daylight saving time involves shifting the clock forward by one hour in the spring and back in the autumn to make better use of daylight. It is followed in about a third of the world’s countries, including most of Europe. However, in the US, some have long advocated for its abolition.

Proponents of standard time argue that it promotes better health, as more morning light improves sleep patterns during darker evenings. They also point out that DST can disrupt sleep schedules. On the other hand, those who support maintaining DST year-round claim that longer evenings—especially for commuters—could reduce crime, conserve energy, and even decrease road accidents, with both sides believing their preferred approach would benefit the economy.

Trump’s push is not the first effort to change the long-standing tradition of adjusting clocks in the US. In 2022, the Democratic-controlled Senate passed a bill to make DST permanent, known as the Sunshine Protection Act. However, the bill, introduced by Republican Senator Marco Rubio, failed to reach President Joe Biden’s desk. Rubio was later appointed by Trump as his choice for Secretary of State.

Daylight saving time was first introduced in the US in 1918 during World War I to conserve fuel, but it was unpopular with farmers and repealed after the war. It was reintroduced during World War II and made permanent in 1966, though states could choose to opt out. Currently, Hawaii and most of Arizona do not observe DST.

Research by Joan Costa-i-Font, a professor at the London School of Economics, suggests that DST negatively impacts sleep, physical health, and mental well-being, leading to increased fatigue and stress. Costa-i-Font’s study also found that eliminating DST could boost economic output by €754 ($792; £627) per person annually.

Some countries, such as Mexico and Jordan, abolished DST in 2022, though areas near the US border in Mexico still observe it for economic and logistical reasons. Other nations, like Turkey and Russia, have switched to permanent DST in recent years.