Shortly after winning a second term, Donald Trump announced that he had selected Tesla CEO Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy to lead his new administration’s efforts to increase government efficiency — which really means discarding a whole host of federal regulations and workers. It’s far from certain whether such an agenda would be popular among voters. But the duo did recently set sights on a target that a lot of Americans would probably like to see on the chopping block: daylight saving time.
Last week, Musk responded to a poll posted by an X user, asking whether daylight saving time should be abolished. Responses to the unofficial survey were overwhelmingly in favor of doing away with the practice of moving clocks forward in the spring and shifting them back in the fall. “Looks like the people want to abolish the annoying time changes!” Musk wrote.
Soon after, Ramaswamy replied to Musk’s post, agreeing with his words. “It’s inefficient & easy to change,” he said. Musk’s initial comment prompted a direct question from Utah senator Mike Lee, who asked the Tesla CEO if he’d like to end the “semi-annual time changes.” Musk responded simply, “Yes.”
But neither elaborated on any potential plans. Despite Musk and Ramaswamy’s cursory interest in the idea, the two men likely wouldn’t have much say in the matter. Their Department of Government Efficiency is merely an advisory committee that can make recommendations, not a new agency that can set policy. Still, support from two prominent members of Trump’s inner circle could potentially help move the issue forward.
Congress has made several attempts to make daylight saving time permanent. Since 2018, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida has co-sponsored a piece of legislation called the “Sunshine Protection Act” which, if passed, would put an end to the country’s biannual time changes. The bill largely languished in committee until 2022, when it suddenly and surprisingly passed the U.S. Senate. It was later received in the House of Representatives, where it ultimately stalled. The future of the “Sunshine Protection Act” is unknown as Rubio, its top sponsor, was selected to serve in Trump’s administration as secretary of State.
If Musk and Ramaswamy are serious about advocating for the change, they’ll potentially have an ally in the White House next year. During his first term, Trump expressed support for the shift, suggesting he’d be open to signing the bill or any new variation if it ever reaches his desk. “Making Daylight Saving Time permanent is O.K. with me!” Trump said on social media in 2019.
The idea of making daylight saving time permanent has its backers. A 2022 Monmouth University poll found that only 35 percent of Americans surveyed would be in favor of continuing to change the clocks twice a year. The nation once tried to make the shift in the 1970s in response to an energy crisis. However, the change, which was initially slated for two years, was short-lived due to a strong backlash from Americans who rejected living with daylight saving time year-round.
