Trump wants to end daylight saving time: We’ve tried before — here’s what happened

(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.

I’m 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. 

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.