Trump rants about pricey 'Watchtowers' in push to end clock changes

President Donald Trump once again demanded on Wednesday that the Senate pass legislation to make Daylight Saving Time permanent.

"People are sick and tired of having to change their clocks twice a year," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. "It is foolish, inconvenient and, in some cases, very costly. For Cities and States with Watchtowers, and hard-to-reach places, it costs Millions of Dollars. A recent case was made that it is also bad for your health in the anxiety it creates."

"Leading Medical, Crime, and Economic Studies have shown that ceasing the biannual time change, giving us one extra hour of natural sunlight in the evenings, will help Decrease Robbery and Murder Rates, Reduce Car Accidents (especially those involving Pedestrians!), Lower Risk for Cardiac Issues, Stroke, and Seasonal Depression, Make It Safer for Children to Walk Home from School, Increase Time with your Family, Strongly Support Extracurricular Activities, Be a Big Boost to Sports, Fitness, Tourism, Retail, and the Restaurant Industries (and more!), and Save Money on Energy Bills, because everyone will be enjoying an EXTRA HOUR OF DAYLIGHT," Trump continued.

There are indeed some studies suggesting that the twice-a-year time change costs millions of dollars each year, partly from the week of elevated accidents and lost productivity immediately after the switch — but other studies have suggested this is offset by a reduction when the clocks are set back.

Daylight Saving Time originally began as a wartime policy intended to save energy, though studies are mixed to negative on whether it actually did so.

Congress attempted a two-year trial of making Daylight Saving Time permanent in 1973, but Americans were so enraged with having to commute to work or school in complete darkness in winter that it was canceled just a year later.