WASHINGTON: President-elect Donald Trump has announced that the Republican Party will "use its best efforts" to abolish daylight saving time (DST) in the United States, calling the practice "inconvenient and costly." Trump, who takes office on January 20, has also expressed interest in privatising the U.S. Postal Service, according to sources familiar with discussions held at Mar-a-Lago with Howard Lutnick, his nominee for commerce secretary.
Daylight saving time currently begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November, with time changes occurring at 2:00 a.m. local time.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump stated, "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient and very costly to our Nation."
The Republican Party, set to gain control of both chambers of Congress in January, may take up the issue after Trump's inauguration as the 47th President of the United States.
Senator Marco Rubio, nominated by Trump for Secretary of State, has been a vocal advocate for ending daylight saving time. He introduced the Sunshine Protection Act, a bill aimed at making daylight saving time permanent.
"We're 'springing forward' but should have never 'fallen back.' My Sunshine Protection Act would end this outdated and disruptive practice of changing our clocks twice a year," Rubio said in a previous statement.
Rubio noted that the bill, if passed, would apply to states currently observing DST, allowing states and territories on standard time to maintain their status. "Many studies have shown that making DST permanent could benefit the economy and the country," he remarked on the Senate floor in March 2022.
