Trump Publicly Shares Senator Cotton’s Contact Info in Escalating Daylight Saving Time Dispute

DAYTON, Ohio Oct. 4, 2026 04:57

President Donald Trump intensified his public feud with Senator Tom Cotton over daylight saving time policy on Saturday by sharing what he claimed was the Arkansas Republican’s personal phone number on social media.

Using his Truth Social platform, Trump urged followers to contact Cotton directly regarding the Sunshine Protection Act, legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent and eliminate the biannual clock changes.

“Everybody in Arkansas, Tom Cotton, a friend of mine, is holding up a very important Bill,” Trump wrote.

Cotton responded on X, stating: “No one likes changing the clock, me included, but Congress has enacted permanent Daylight Savings Time multiple times before and repealed it each time once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter. Arkansans don’t want their kids going to school in the pitch dark, and I’ll always put Arkansas first.”

When contacted at the number Trump provided, callers reached a voicemail without identification.

The debate centers on competing interests: supporters of permanent daylight saving time argue that changing clocks twice yearly disrupts sleep patterns and leads to increased traffic accidents. Critics counter that permanent daylight saving time would result in darker winter mornings, affecting schoolchildren and commuters.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump devoted over half of his time to discussing the time change issue. He complained that losing afternoon daylight causes scheduling conflicts and impacts recreational activities.

“You know who wants it? The farmers want it. You know who wants it? Sports want it,” Trump said before attending a campaign rally in Ohio.

Prior to the rally, Trump had shared correspondence from PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, noting the organization’s preference for additional afternoon daylight to complete tournaments.

In a subsequent post, Trump appealed to party unity, writing: “Give the Republican Party a Senatorial WIN, for a change! … TAKE THE WIN TOM, JUST TAKE THE WIN! YOU NEED IT, AND SO DOES OUR BELOVED REPUBLICAN PARTY!”

While Cotton faces reelection this cycle, political analysts consider his race non-competitive given Trump’s strong 2024 performance in Arkansas. Other Senate Republicans, including Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, have expressed skepticism about the legislation, with Kennedy recently calling it “dead as disco.”

This isn’t Trump’s first instance of publicly sharing a senator’s contact information. During his 2015 presidential campaign, he read Senator Lindsey Graham’s phone number at a rally, though they later reconciled and worked closely together during Trump’s first term.

Congress previously passed the measure in the House of Representatives in July, but passage in the Senate remains uncertain. Neither Cotton’s nor Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s offices responded to requests for comment.

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