Trump presses Senate Republicans over Tom Cotton's block on ending clock changes

US President Donald Trump has intensified pressure on Senate Republicans to make Daylight Saving Time permanent, accusing Senator Tom Cotton of blocking legislation that would end the twice-yearly clock changes.

In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump criticised Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, for holding up what Trump refers to as the No More Changing of Clocks Act, officially known as the Sunshine Protection Act. Trump noted that in the Senate it only takes one member to stall a bill, and argued the legislation should pass with broad bipartisan support.

Trump also argued that people should not have to waste time adjusting clocks twice a year, suggesting that afternoon sunshine is preferable to early morning daylight.

He went further by sharing what he said was Cotton's phone number, urging residents of Arkansas to contact the senator directly. This mirrors an incident from the 2016 Republican presidential primary, when Trump publicised the phone number of Senator Lindsey Graham after a dispute between the two.

Al Jazeera attempted to reach the number shared by Trump but found the voicemail box was full. Neither Cotton's office nor the White House responded to requests for comment.

Trump has repeatedly urged the Senate to pass legislation establishing permanent daylight saving time, which would eliminate the long-standing practice of shifting clocks twice yearly. The bill cleared the House of Representatives in July with a vote of 308 to 117.

Cotton has previously opposed the measure, having argued in a Senate floor speech last year that farmers, construction workers, commuters and schoolchildren would face darker mornings during winter months under the change.