Two of President Donald Trump’s closest allies, DOGE head Elon Musk and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reportedly butted heads earlier this week after Musk accused Rubio of failing to slash his staff per Musk’s attempts to significantly shrink the U.S. government.
The New York Times reported that Rubio has been privately furious with Musk for dismantling USAID, an agency under Rubio’s control, but that he was able to point to more than 1,500 State Department workers who accepted the offer of early retirement. Rubio reportedly asked Musk if he wanted to rehire those employees so he could fire them again and take credit this time. Suffice to say, tensions are high in Trump’s inner circle (though the president refuses to talk about it).
There may be a light at the end of the tunnel, however; an opportunity for Rubio and Musk to find common ground: daylight saving time. Or, more specifically, making it permanent.
Musk took to X earlier this week to conduct a very unscientific poll in which he asked social media users whether they would prefer the clocks to shift an hour earlier or later if daylight saving time (which he erroneously referred to as “daylight savings time”) were canceled. Fifty-eight percent of the 1.3 million votes went to the option to push their clocks ahead by one hour.
One of the most vocal proponents in Trump’s cabinet for abolishing daylight saving time—or making it permanent, depending on which way you look at it—is none other than Rubio himself, who renewed his push to “lock the clock” as recently as October.
Releasing a statement in conjunction with Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey in which the pair, co-sponsors of the proposed Sunshine Protection Act, called for daylight saving time to be made permanent. “It’s time to lock the clock and stop enduring the ridiculous and antiquated practice of switching our clocks back and forth,” said Rubio. “Let’s finally pass my Sunshine Protection Act and end the need to ‘fall back’ and ‘spring forward’ for good.”
Making daylight saving time permanent would mean the clocks would be brought forward an hour for the entire year, so the sun would rise and set an hour later year-round, not just during summer; exactly what those who responded to Musk’s poll voted for.
It’s not much, but it’s something. Because Musk and Rubio need to find something they can agree on ASAP, as their disagreements are clearly stressing Trump out.
On Friday, Trump chastised an NBC reporter who asked about the pair’s disagreement the day before, snapping back, “You’re just a troublemaker, and you’re not supposed to be asking that question.”
Trump also took to Truth Social on Saturday to emphasize that all was well in the White House, posting, “ELON AND MARCO HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP. ANY STATEMENT OTHER THAN THAT IS FAKE NEWS!!!”
Not to worry, Donald. Just get these guys talking about the prospect of bringing the clocks forward permanently and marvel as they wax lyrical about one thing they definitely agree on.
