For months now, there has been a bit of a Democrat Party civil war going on between the establishment and socialist wing, and it’s worked to the GOP’s advantage. Democrats in Maine nominated Graham Platner for the U.S. Senate over a more electable Democrat, and that ended in disaster. Now Sen. Susan Collins is looking good for reelection. In Michigan, Democrats nominated socialist Abdul El-Sayed for the U.S. Senate, turning that race into a prime pickup opportunity as well. When Democrats have these internal fights, it helps the GOP, and in an election year when the party in power historically loses seats, they need all the help they can get.
What the GOP really doesn’t need is its own civil war.
You may recall that the Sunshine Protection Act passed the House in July. It has sat in the Senate since then because a group of Republicans has strongly objected. Last week, President Donald Trump opened a public fight inside the Republican Party by publishing the personal cellphone number of Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) in a Senate standoff over permanent daylight saving time.
Trump used Truth Social on Saturday to single out Cotton for holding up the Sunshine Protection Act, a bill that would end the twice-yearly clock change. Trump's post included the phone number and urged Americans to call it. The dispute has opened a public rift inside the GOP a month before the midterm election.
And as Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.). noted on NBC's Meet the Press, it’s not even over anything particularly important.
"Every now and then, there are disputes in Congress that have existential significance for the future of Western civilization," Kennedy said. "Daylight Savings Time is not one of them."
He’s right.
Sen. John Kennedy: “I Don’t Think He Should Have Given Out Tom’s Cell Phone Number”; Sen. Kennedy Criticizes Trump For Posting Sen. Tom Cotton’s Number Over Dispute A Month Before Midterms Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) criticized President Donald Trump for publicly posting Sen. Tom Cotton’s cell phone number after Cotton blocked legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent. Speaking with NBC’s Kristen Welker on Meet the Press, Kennedy said the dispute over daylight saving time does not have “existential significance” and argued that releasing Cotton’s number would not help persuade the Arkansas Republican senator. The exchange comes as Republicans and MAGA supporters prepare for the midterms, while Democrats and Democratic Socialists focus on the economy, cost of living and other issues facing voters.
— News is Dead (@newsisdead) October 4, 2026
Trump opened the fight Saturday morning, faulting Cotton by name for standing in the way of the legislation. Cotton responded on social media Saturday afternoon.
“No one likes changing the clock, me included, but Congress has enacted permanent Daylight Savings Time multiple times before and repealed it each time once Americans experienced absurdly late sunrises in the winter,” he wrote. “Arkansans don’t want their kids going to school in the pitch dark, and I’ll always put Arkansas first.”
I’m a fan of Daylight Saving Time myself, and there was a time when I thought making it permanent would be nice. But even I see it comes with drawbacks. The question is, why is Trump even making a stink about this issue right now? Well, he clearly thinks a legislative win before the midterms will help the GOP.
“If Tom Cotton were putting Arkansas first, he would give them an extra hour of daylight and, more importantly, they wouldn’t have to run all over their houses, farms, work places, and everywhere else, twice a year, having to change their Clocks, and often forgetting to do so,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday afternoon. “That is really putting Arkansas FIRST, and I know, because, unlike Tom, I won that Great State, three times, and by almost 40 points! Additionally, it would be a very nice and easy WIN for the Republican Party, in particular, the Republican Senate, a place where we could use some WINS!”
A legislative win is a win, sure, but it’s not like this is an 80-20 issue. Public opinion is very much divided. And let’s face it, it’s not an issue that’s going to drive turnout for the GOP in November. The SAVE America Act was certainly an issue worth fighting amongst ourselves over. Permanent DST? Not so much.
