President Donald Trump escalated his fight over daylight saving time on Saturday in the most Trump way imaginable, posting what he described as Sen. Tom Cotton’s personal cellphone number on Truth Social and urging Arkansas residents to give the senator a ring.
The number he shared, 479-453-0533, does not match either of the phone numbers listed on Cotton’s official government website, suggesting the president did not accidentally publish a public line. It does, however, carry an Arkansas area code, which is a nice touch.
The extraordinary post came as Trump pushed the Senate to pass the Sunshine Protection Act, legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent and put an end to the twice-yearly national clock-flipping ritual. The House already passed the measure in July by a vote of 308 to 117, which is about as bipartisan as Washington gets anymore. The Senate, showing its trademark hustle, adjourned Wednesday without a vote and will not return until after the midterms.
Trump’s Truth Social Manifesto, Clock-Related
Trump’s Truth Social post was a masterpiece of the form. He called Cotton “a friend of mine” while simultaneously siccing the entire state of Arkansas on him, noted that he won Arkansas three times, the last by 34 points, and argued that golfers, tennis players, hunters, and farmers all need more afternoon sunlight. He also cited a letter from Brian Rolapp, CEO of the PGA TOUR, as supporting evidence. Nobody tell the president that the Senate has traditionally required slightly more than a PGA letter to schedule a floor vote.
The post stated in part, “Almost everybody wants ‘The Sunshine Protection Act’ to pass, except for Tom Cotton,” and signed off with a presidential flourish: “Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP.” In the Senate, Trump noted, it only takes one senator to hold up a bill, which is a quirk of the chamber that Cotton appears to have discovered and Trump appears to have taken personally.
According to Trump Cotton Sunshine Protection Act feud, journalist Aaron Parnas attempted to reach Cotton at the posted number for comment. Just tried to call Senator Tom Cotton to get his thoughts on this,” Parnas wrote on social media. Phone went straight to voicemail and the mailbox is full.” Shockingly, when the president of the United States posts your cell number to millions of followers, your inbox fills up. Science.
The Voicemail Is Full, the Clocks Still Change
Trump’s post argued that 65 percent of Americans want more sun in the afternoon and 100 percent do not want to change their clocks twice a year. He also flagged the danger of climbing “high and dangerous steeples” on churches and municipal buildings to reset clocks, which is a real concern that has perhaps never before appeared in a presidential communique.
The Senate is not scheduled back until after the midterms, which means the Sunshine Protection Act sits in limbo, the clocks will change again on schedule, and Tom Cotton’s voicemail will remain full for the foreseeable future. For Americans who have spent years dreaming of a federal government that moves quickly on anything, this story is a helpful reminder of where things stand. At least the House got something done, 308 to 117, which in Washington counts as a landslide. The Senate will get around to it eventually, probably right after they finish not passing everything else.
