Former President Donald Trump publicly shared a phone number he claimed belonged to Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas as part of a social media post criticizing the senator's opposition to a bill that would make daylight saving time permanent.
Trump, posting Saturday on TruthSocial, alleged that Cotton was blocking the progress of the Sunshine Protection Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives in July with bipartisan support but has faced resistance in the Senate. "For some reason, Tom is stopping the Bill, and in the Senate, it’s very easy to do, it only takes one!" Trump wrote, urging his supporters to press for the bill's passage.
The revealed number appeared to have been inundated with calls. Attempts to reach the line on Monday met with a full voicemail box.
Senator Cotton, whose legislative decisions generally align with Trump’s policy positions, defended his opposition to the legislation in a Facebook post the same day. Cotton noted that while he agrees people dislike changing their clocks, Congress has repeatedly approved permanent daylight saving time in the past, only to reverse course.
"Arkansans don’t want their kids going to school in the pitch dark, and I’ll always put Arkansas first," Cotton wrote. He did not address Trump’s decision to disclose his presumed phone number.
Arkansas lawmakers have previously introduced state-level bills to make daylight saving time permanent, but none have gained sufficient support to pass. As the debate continues, Senator Cotton is currently campaigning for a third term. He faces Democratic challenger Hallie Shoffner and Libertarian candidate Jeff Wadlin in the upcoming November election.
Shoffner, in a weekend Facebook video, expressed support for permanent daylight saving time but shifted focus to other economic concerns. "Families are struggling, and changing the clocks isn’t going to change that," Shoffner said, highlighting the rising costs of gas and groceries.
Cotton's position has drawn support from lawmakers across party lines. Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona argued on social media for "permanent standard time," which would ensure more morning light. "Senator Cotton is right. Permanent Daylight Savings has been tried and Americans didn’t like it," Kelly said in a statement.
Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana also criticized Trump’s tactics, calling Cotton a "rockstar senator." Speaking on "Meet the Press" on Sunday, Kennedy added, "I don’t think [Trump] should have given out Tom’s cell phone number. I don’t think that’s going to help convince Tom."
The Sunshine Protection Act remains stuck in legislative limbo, reflecting divided opinions both in Congress and across the country on how to handle the biannual time change.