Clocks Fall Back as Trump-Backed Permanent Daylight Saving Bill Stalls in Senate

Clocks across most of the United States fell back one hour on Sunday as daylight saving time ended, taking effect at 2 a.m. local time, when clocks went back to 1 a.m. The shift brings earlier sunsets, and in many places the sun will now set before 5 p.m. Congress has not changed the system. The House passed legislation earlier this year to let states observe daylight saving time year-round, but the Sunshine Protection Act has stalled in the Senate. President Donald Trump backs the bill. This week he posted on Truth Social that the Senate was letting it die despite what he called majority support, and he urged senators to take a vote. At an October 26 rally in Mississippi he called the twice-yearly clock change ridiculous. Fox News reported heavy opposition from senators in both parties. Daylight saving time was first adopted in the U.S. in 1918, during World War I, to conserve fuel.

Right-leaning outlets Fox News and Newsmax frame the story around the bill. Fox's headline says Americans were forced to change clocks as the Senate stalls the Trump-backed measure. It features Trump's Truth Social post, calls the issue popular with voters and Trump, and mentions his rally travel for Republicans and a Gutfeld segment on his disagreement with Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. Newsmax stresses a consequence: if the Senate passes the bill unchanged, clocks could jump forward again this winter. Left-leaning outlets had not reported this story at the time of writing, while right-leaning and independent outlets had. Newsweek, the independent outlet, takes a distinct explainer angle, with a map of sunset times, the 1918 history, the argument by critics for permanent standard time, and Trump's rally remark. All three agree that clocks fell back, that Trump backs permanent daylight saving time, and that the House acted first. They differ in emphasis: Fox on Senate inaction, Newsmax on the winter time jump, Newsweek on sunsets and background.