WASHINGTON ― If President-elect Donald Trump has his way, we may be returning to a time before daylight saving.

On Friday, Trump expressed his desire to abolish daylight saving time, lending support to an ongoing discussion about eliminating the biannual clock changes.

The incoming president shared his intention to make standard time permanent in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, which would necessitate legislative action from Congress.

“The Republican Party will make every effort to end Daylight Saving Time, which has a small yet fervent following, but should not!” Trump stated. “Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient and a significant expense for our nation.”

The U.S. is currently observing standard time after clocks were set back an hour on November 3. This adjustment results in earlier sunsets during December, leading to frequent complaints. The nation will return to daylight saving time on March 9 of next year.

Abolishing daylight saving time would preserve the early winter evenings while eliminating the clock changes that many find bothersome.

Tech leaders like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who are expected to play significant roles in a Trump administration aiming to reduce government spending, have shown their support for eliminating daylight saving time. Musk commented on a post in X last month: “It seems the public wants to get rid of these annoying time changes.”

Only two states do not observe daylight saving time under the Uniform Time Act of 1966, which allows states to opt out. However, even among those favoring the elimination of time changes, there’s ongoing debate about whether to keep daylight saving time or standard time.

In 2022, the Senate passed bipartisan legislation aimed at making standard time permanent with unanimous consent. However, it stalled in the House of Representatives. The bill was co-sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio, a close ally of Trump and his nominee for secretary of state.

Health experts argue that changing the clocks disrupts the body’s natural circadian rhythm and hormone production. However, most oppose the idea of making daylight saving time permanent, stating that “springing forward” in March is more challenging than “falling back” in November.

“The medical and scientific communities agree that maintaining permanent standard time is more beneficial for public health,” said Erik Herzog, a biology and neuroscience professor at Washington University in St. Louis and a former president of the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms.

Polling indicates that a majority of Americans support Trump’s initiative to eliminate daylight saving time.

According to an October 2021 poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, about 43% of respondents prefer year-round standard time, 32% favor permanent daylight saving time, and 25% wish to retain the current system. For now, it seems that most Americans will continue to experience the twice-a-year clock changes.

The U.S. previously attempted to maintain year-round daylight saving time in 1974 under President Richard Nixon. However, it was reverted back to standard time a few months later after concerns about children attending school in the dark during winter mornings.