Overview
- The president posted what appeared to be Sen. Tom Cotton’s personal cell phone number on Truth Social to pressure him to back the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent.
- Cotton responded by defending his opposition, saying past attempts produced very late winter sunrises that harmed local communities and that he will "always put Arkansas first."
- Several Republican senators criticized the tactic as improper and ineffective, with Sen. John Kennedy saying he did not think the phone number should have been given out.
- The exchange escalated in public appearances on Monday when Sen. Thom Tillis quipped that he also has the president’s number, highlighting growing intraparty tensions.
- The episode follows a pattern of the president sharing contact information of critics in past years and leaves the House-passed bill, approved in July, stalled in the Senate and vulnerable to political fallout before upcoming elections.