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President-elect Donald Trump has announced a commitment to abolish Daylight Saving Time (DST), calling it “inconvenient and very costly to our nation.”
In a recent Truth Social post, Trump wrote:
“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.”
Daylight Saving Time involves setting clocks forward by one hour during warmer months to extend evening daylight and then reverting them in cooler months.
The practice was standardized in the U.S. with the Uniform Time Act of 1966, aiming to conserve energy and make better use of daylight.
However, its effectiveness has been debated, with studies showing minimal energy savings and highlighting potential health risks, such as increased heart attacks and workplace injuries following the time changes.
Studies have shown that the shift to DST in spring increases the risk of heart attacks by about 24% on the following Monday, and there are also reports of increased stroke risks shortly after the time change, according to the University of Michigan.
Sleep deprivation associated with the time change can result in chronic sleep loss, which is known to contribute to various health problems, including mood disturbances, suicide, and increased risk of accidents, according to the non-profit Sleep Foundation.
The change in time disrupts the sleep-wake cycle, resulting in “social jet lag,” where individuals experience misalignment between their internal clock and social obligations.
Many people report feeling tired and less alert following the spring transition to DST, and this fatigue can contribute to decreased productivity.
The U.S. economy loses approximately $434 million annually due to productivity declines caused by increased sleep disturbances and workplace injuries during the DST transition periods, according to New York Times.
Additionally, the shift leads to increased workplace injuries and more frequent incidents of “cyberloafing,” where employees spend work time on non-work-related internet activities.
In 2019, Trump wrote, “Making Daylight Saving Time permanent is O.K. with me!” This mean, the time used during daylight saving time—where clocks are set forward by one hour to provide more daylight in the evening—would become the standard time year-round.
Making Daylight Saving Time permanent is O.K. with me!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 11, 2019
Elon Musk, appointed by Trump to head the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), reacted to a survey on X showing overwhelming support for eliminating the biannual clock changes in spring and fall.
Musk wrote, “Looks like the people want to abolish the annoying time changes!”
leave it daylight savings time always.
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 27, 2024
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