Donald Trump vows to abolish daylight saving time in US, calls it inconvenient, very costly

US President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday that he wants to end daylight saving time (DST), describing the long-standing practice as “inconvenient” and “very costly” to Americans.

DST, which involves moving clocks forward in spring and back in fall to maximise daylight during warmer months, is currently observed in most US states and about a third of the world’s countries, including much of Europe. Advocates for abolishing the practice argue that its benefits are outdated and disruptive.

In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said his Republican Party would prioritise abolishing the biannual clock changes.

“The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn’t!” Trump wrote. “Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation.”

Trump’s incoming administration includes prominent critics of DST, such as Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who has been nominated as Secretary of State, according to NBC News.

Rubio has repeatedly called the practice a “stupid” relic and pushed for legislative change. His 2022 Sunshine Protection Act, which sought to make daylight saving time permanent to do away with the biannual ritual of winding clocks, passed the Senate but failed in the House.

The President-elect’s allies, including tech mogul Elon Musk and Indian-origin entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, have also voiced opposition to the time changes. On X, Musk called the practice “annoying,” while Ramaswamy deemed it “inefficient [and] easy to change.”

Both have been appointed by Trump to lead the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, tasked with advising on scaling down government agencies and federal bureaucracy.

According to CNN, daylight saving time was first introduced in the US during World War I to conserve fuel, repealed shortly after, and then reinstated during World War II. It became permanent in 1966 under the Uniform Time Act, though states can opt out. Currently, Hawaii and most of Arizona do not observe DST.

Americans now observe “daylight time” from March to November and “standard time” from November to March. Trump’s proposal, if implemented, would end over a century of seasonal clock changes—though it is unclear whether he favours sticking solely to standard time or making a permanent switch to DST.