The day after Republicans suffered a major defeat in the midterm elections, President Donald Trump turned to social media to complain about the early darkness and the Senate’s failure to act on legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent.
“It’s so dark outside, so early,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He said he would continue pushing for the Sunshine Protection Act, which would keep most of the nation on daylight saving time year-round.
Scientists have raised concerns about permanent daylight saving time, including the risks of injuries during darker mornings and potential effects on people’s body clocks. Trump has nevertheless been a strong supporter.
“Trump is not hiding the fact that golf is definitely on his mind,” said Jay Pea, founder of Save Standard Time, which supports year-round standard time.
In winter, permanent DST would mean later sunrises—after 8 a.m. in some regions—as well as later sunsets. These changes could shift commuting patterns and affect when people tune in during traditional drive-time slots, typically 6–9 a.m. and 4–7 p.m. Stations might need to adjust their schedules to match new routines. One group that may oppose permanent DST is the National Religious Broadcasters, since darker winter mornings could mean AM stations spend more time operating at reduced power.
Longer evening daylight could encourage people to spend more time outdoors, potentially reducing evening radio listening. Darker mornings, meanwhile, might lead some listeners to wake later or feel less engaged early in the day, prompting stations to reconsider the timing or format of their morning shows. Year-round DST could also blur seasonal listening patterns, making it harder for stations to tailor programming to daylight-driven activities and seasonal events.
Changes in daily routines could affect audience measurements and radio ratings. Advertisers might seek updated metrics, with potential effects on ad rates and station revenue. At the same time, longer evenings could create more demand for ads promoting outdoor events, retail, and dining. Stations that rely on network schedules or satellite feeds might also face challenges if national programming times no longer match local expectations, possibly requiring changes to syndication agreements.
The effects would vary by region. Areas with more extreme seasonal daylight shifts, such as Alaska or the Upper Midwest, could see larger changes in listener behavior than places with milder shifts, such as Florida or Texas. Later sunsets might reduce studio lighting costs, while later work hours for evening broadcasts could increase energy use.
The United States has tried year-round DST before: during World War I in 1918 and again in 1974–1975 under the Emergency Daylight Saving Time Energy Conservation Act. Both experiments were repealed following public backlash, particularly over dark winter mornings.