Trump promises to abolish “very costly” daylight saving time

US President-elect Donald Trump has said he wants to abolish Daylight Saving Time (DST), arguing it is “inconvenient” and “very costly” for Americans.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said DST has “a small but powerful constituency but shouldn’t do this” and that his Republican Party would work to end it.

Daylight saving time moves the clock forward one hour in spring and back one hour in fall to make better use of natural daylight.

According to the Pew Research Center, it is observed in a third of the world’s countries, including most of Europe. But some in the United States have long advocated ending the ancient tradition.

Those who want to stick to standard time say it benefits our health as it is better to have more light in the morning, which improves the sleep cycle on darker evenings. They say daylight saving time can confuse sleep schedules.

Others, however, want to make daylight saving time permanent instead, arguing that brighter evenings, especially for those commuting from work or school, would reduce crime, save energy and even save lives in terms of fewer traffic accidents.

Both sides say their preferred option would be better for the economy.

Trump’s plan is not the first attempt to change the biannual practice of changing clocks seasonally in the United States.

Making daylight saving time permanent was the goal of a 2022 bill passed by the Democratic-controlled Senate.

But the Sunshine Protection Act, introduced by Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, never made it to President Joe Biden’s desk.

Rubio, who has since been handpicked by Trump for the role of secretary of state under his new administration, said at the time that studies had shown permanent daylight saving time could benefit the economy.

To save fuel, the United States first began changing its clocks seasonally in 1918 during World War I. It was unpopular with farmers and was repealed after the war.

But daylight saving time returned during World War II and was made permanent in 1966, although states were able to forego it.

Hawaii and most of Arizona do not currently observe daylight saving time changes.

Research by Joan Costa-i-Font, a professor at the London School of Economics, found that daylight saving time has “detrimental effects on sleep and physical health, as well as feelings of fatigue, stress, time stress and mental health.”

Prof. Costa-i-Font’s study found that summer time is coming to an end in financial terms would result in an increase in economic output of €754 ($792; £627) per person per year.

Countries that have discontinued the practice include Mexico in 2022, although regions near the U.S. border continue to maintain daylight saving time for economic and logistical reasons. Jordan also stopped training this year.

Others, like Turkey and Russia, adopted permanent daylight saving time instead over the last decade.

In a survey at Monmouth University, researchers found this out two thirds of the people In the USA they want to make daylight saving time permanent.