Elon Musk wants to abolish daylight savings time. It might actually be a good idea
IndependentDec 08
Trump Says He'll Push to End Daylight Saving Time
Above: US Pres.-elect Donald Trump speaks at a reception at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) after being named TIME’s "Person of the Year" for the second time on Dec. 12, 2024, in New York City. Image copyright: Spencer Platt/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
The practice of moving the clocks forward by an hour in the spring before winding them back in the fall could come to an end in the US after Pres.-elect Donald Trump said Friday that his party would look to eliminate daylight saving time (DST).
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said: "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate daylight saving time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't! Daylight saving time is inconvenient, and very costly to our nation."
The Spin
Narrative A
The scientific evidence is mounting that the constant changing of the clocks is bad for our health and has been linked to increased traffic collisions and work place injuries. It should be abolished, but the bigger question is whether Trump would be able to make it happen.
Narrative B
While there are some inconveniences with changing the clocks twice a year, there's plenty of benefits as well. Structuring our days to increase the amount of sunlight we get increases our intake of vitamin D, and has been shown to increase the amount of time we spend exercising and socializing — all of which has important health benefits.