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Trump Announces Plan To Eliminate What?

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Sounds like a great idea.

Soon to be President Donald Trump has come out in strong support of efforts to eliminate daylight saving time (DST), claiming that the semi-annual clock changes are both disruptive and costly. In a post on Truth Social, Trump, 78, made it clear that the Republican Party will rally behind efforts to end the practice, calling it annoying and “very expensive to our Nation.”

“The GOP will use its strongest efforts to get rid of Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but tough constituency, but should not!” Trump wrote. He went on to emphasize that the clock shifts, which occur in March and November, cause unnecessary disruptions to people’s schedules and have negative consequences on health.

Critics of daylight saving time point out that the biannual clock changes interfere with sleep patterns, leading to fatigue, irritability, and even an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes. Additionally, research has shown that the time shifts can have a significant impact on mental and physical well-being. According to a 2021 AP-NORC poll, a significant 75% of Americans oppose the seasonal clock adjustments.

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The push to end DST has gained traction in recent years, with many Republicans leading the charge. In 2022, the Senate unanimously passed the Sunshine Protection Act, a bill that sought to make daylight saving time permanent. Introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), the bill, however, stalled in the House and never came to a vote. Rubio reintroduced the measure last year, along with a similar bill in the House from Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), but both have yet to gain serious momentum.

Some states, like Arizona and Hawaii, have already opted to keep standard time year-round, and both have seen benefits from avoiding the disruptive clock shifts. Even some prominent conservative figures, such as tech entrepreneur Elon Musk and presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, have endorsed eliminating DST. Musk recently posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Looks like the people want to abolish the annoying time changes!” Ramaswamy responded, calling the practice “inefficient & easy to change.”

The origins of DST can be traced back to World War I, when the U.S. government implemented it to conserve energy. However, its benefits are now widely questioned, and the calls to abolish it are growing louder. For many Republicans, this is an opportunity to both improve the health and well-being of American families while saving the nation money and time. It’s clear that the momentum to “lock the clock” is building, and it could soon be a winning issue for conservatives across the country.