Trump posts Cotton's number: The Hill says the bill makes daylight saving time permanent, the Washington Examiner says it ends it
President Trump put Sen. Tom Cotton's cell phone number on Truth Social to push the Sunshine Protection Act. The two reports we hold describe the bill in opposite ways and give Cotton different home states. Neither carries a word from Cotton.
What both reports say. On Saturday, President Trump posted Sen. Tom Cotton's cell phone number on Truth Social. He did it to press for the Sunshine Protection Act. The Hill quotes the post: "Tom Cotton, a friend of mine, is holding up a very important Bill," Trump wrote.
Where they split.
| The Hill | Washington Examiner | |
|---|---|---|
| What the bill does | "would make daylight saving time permanent" | "would end daylight saving time" |
| Cotton's state | "R-Ark." | "R-AK" (the code for Alaska) |
| Cotton's position | Trump says Cotton is "holding up" the bill | Cotton is "opposing the measure", with no source given |
| Verb for Trump | "lashing out at Senate Republicans" | "urging people to call Cotton" |
Which is right. Cotton is a senator from Arkansas. The bill's name and its stated aim are permanent daylight saving time, so The Hill's version matches it. The Examiner's version describes the opposite outcome.
Who is heard. Both reports carry Trump's account. Neither quotes Cotton or his office. Only the Examiner says the bill passed the House in July.
What is not settled - Whether Cotton is actually blocking the bill. The only source for that is Trump's post. - Why Cotton would object. Neither report gives a reason. - Whether Cotton or his office has responded. Neither report carries a response. - The rest of Trump's post. The Hill's text breaks off mid-quote.
What this is about. A Republican president publicly pressured a Republican senator over a bill on how Americans set their clocks.
How it got here. Most of the United States moves its clocks forward an hour each spring and back each autumn. That is daylight saving time. Federal law, the Uniform Time Act of 1966, lets a state opt out and stay on standard time all year, as Arizona and Hawaii do. It does not let a state stay on daylight saving time all year. Several state legislatures have voted for year-round daylight saving time on condition that Congress allows it.
The Sunshine Protection Act is the bill that would allow it, by making daylight saving time permanent nationwide. Versions have been filed in Congress for years. In March 2022 the Senate passed one by unanimous consent, but the House never voted on it and it died when that Congress ended.
The actors. Donald Trump is president and backs the bill. Tom Cotton is a Republican senator from Arkansas, in the Senate since 2015. According to the Washington Examiner, the House passed the bill in July and it is now stuck in the Senate.
Why one senator matters. In the Senate, a bill can move quickly by unanimous consent, but a single senator can object and block that route. The bill then needs floor time and a vote. Trump's post says Cotton is the senator holding it up. We hold no account from Cotton.
What is at stake. If the bill becomes law, Americans would stop changing their clocks twice a year and would keep later sunsets in winter, with darker mornings. If it stalls again, the twice-yearly change continues.
Where it stands. The bill awaits Senate action. Cotton's reasons, if he is objecting, are not in the reports we hold.
What is being argued about
- Whether the Sunshine Protection Act makes daylight saving time permanent or ends it
- Whether Tom Cotton is the senator blocking the bill, on Trump's word alone
- A president publishing a senator's cell phone number
- Which outlet gave Cotton the wrong state
Two reports, one bill, opposite descriptionsSide by side
| Outlet | What the bill does | Cotton's state | Cotton's position, and its source | Cotton quoted? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Hill | "would make daylight saving time permanent" | "R-Ark." | "holding up a very important Bill", in Trump's words | No |
| Washington Examiner | "would end daylight saving time" | "R-AK" | "opposing the measure", with no source given | No |
Cotton represents Arkansas. AK is the postal code for Alaska.
Sources
The Hill
The Hill
🇺🇸US ·
digital · independent
Trump posts GOP senator’s cell phone number over daylight savings act stall
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Hill →
What we have measured
Accusation attributed the word lying is placed in a named politician's mouth, not the outlet's ×1Actor named No actor named for who kept reporters out ×1Actor named No actor named for who let reporters back in ×1Actor named Names the state as the one that carried out the execution. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Washington Examiner
Washington Examiner
🇺🇸US ·
newspaper · independent
Trump releases Tom Cotton’s cellphone number over daylight savings bill
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Washington Examiner →
What we have measured
Accusation printed unanswered a named candidate is accused of responsibility for murders, with no response carried ×1Accused named Names one accused student, citing the lawsuit; no other report we hold names any of the accused ×1Accused named Names each person charged and gives their nationality. None of the defendants is quoted. ×1Accused named Names one accused student from the civil filing and attributes the claim to the lawsuit ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The Hill
Centre
estimate · not a score
The Hill
🇺🇸US ·
digital · independent
Trump posts GOP senator’s cell phone number over daylight savings act stall
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Hill →
What we have measured
Accusation attributed the word lying is placed in a named politician's mouth, not the outlet's ×1Actor named No actor named for who kept reporters out ×1Actor named No actor named for who let reporters back in ×1Actor named Names the state as the one that carried out the execution. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Washington Examiner
Right
estimate · not a score
Washington Examiner
🇺🇸US ·
newspaper · independent
Trump releases Tom Cotton’s cellphone number over daylight savings bill
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Washington Examiner →
What we have measured
Accusation printed unanswered a named candidate is accused of responsibility for murders, with no response carried ×1Accused named Names one accused student, citing the lawsuit; no other report we hold names any of the accused ×1Accused named Names each person charged and gives their nationality. None of the defendants is quoted. ×1Accused named Names one accused student from the civil filing and attributes the claim to the lawsuit ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
When each report was publishedTimeline
- 2026-10-03— no time published Donald Trump Posts Tom Cotton's cell phone number on Truth Social and urges a vote on the Sunshine Protection ActNeither report gives the time of the post
- 2026-10-0315:35 UTC Washington Examiner publication time Washington Examiner Reports the post; says the bill would end daylight saving time and that Cotton opposes itLists Cotton as R-AK
- 2026-10-0316:20 UTC The Hill publication time The Hill Reports the post; says the bill would make daylight saving time permanentQuotes Trump: Cotton is "holding up a very important Bill"
Neither report carries a response from Cotton or his office.
Sources
The Hill
The Hill
🇺🇸US ·
digital · independent
Trump posts GOP senator’s cell phone number over daylight savings act stall
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Hill →
What we have measured
Accusation attributed the word lying is placed in a named politician's mouth, not the outlet's ×1Actor named No actor named for who kept reporters out ×1Actor named No actor named for who let reporters back in ×1Actor named Names the state as the one that carried out the execution. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Washington Examiner
Washington Examiner
🇺🇸US ·
newspaper · independent
Trump releases Tom Cotton’s cellphone number over daylight savings bill
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Washington Examiner →
What we have measured
Accusation printed unanswered a named candidate is accused of responsibility for murders, with no response carried ×1Accused named Names one accused student, citing the lawsuit; no other report we hold names any of the accused ×1Accused named Names each person charged and gives their nationality. None of the defendants is quoted. ×1Accused named Names one accused student from the civil filing and attributes the claim to the lawsuit ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The Hill
Centre
estimate · not a score
The Hill
🇺🇸US ·
digital · independent
Trump posts GOP senator’s cell phone number over daylight savings act stall
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Hill →
What we have measured
Accusation attributed the word lying is placed in a named politician's mouth, not the outlet's ×1Actor named No actor named for who kept reporters out ×1Actor named No actor named for who let reporters back in ×1Actor named Names the state as the one that carried out the execution. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Washington Examiner
Right
estimate · not a score
Washington Examiner
🇺🇸US ·
newspaper · independent
Trump releases Tom Cotton’s cellphone number over daylight savings bill
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Washington Examiner →
What we have measured
Accusation printed unanswered a named candidate is accused of responsibility for murders, with no response carried ×1Accused named Names one accused student, citing the lawsuit; no other report we hold names any of the accused ×1Accused named Names each person charged and gives their nationality. None of the defendants is quoted. ×1Accused named Names one accused student from the civil filing and attributes the claim to the lawsuit ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The bias in this coverageBias
Two reports, two different bills
One report says the bill would make daylight saving time permanent. The other says it would end daylight saving time. They also give Cotton two different home states.
1 reports saying the bill makes daylight saving time permanent
1 reports saying the bill ends daylight saving time
1 reports giving Cotton a state code other than Arkansas
The senator is talked about, not heard
Both reports quote or begin to quote Trump. Neither carries a word from Cotton. One states his opposition as fact without attributing it.
2 reports quoting Trump
0 reports quoting Cotton or his office
Scored without the mastheads. Where the two passes differ, both are kept.
Sources
The Hill
The Hill
🇺🇸US ·
digital · independent
Trump posts GOP senator’s cell phone number over daylight savings act stall
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Hill →
What we have measured
Accusation attributed the word lying is placed in a named politician's mouth, not the outlet's ×1Actor named No actor named for who kept reporters out ×1Actor named No actor named for who let reporters back in ×1Actor named Names the state as the one that carried out the execution. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Washington Examiner
Washington Examiner
🇺🇸US ·
newspaper · independent
Trump releases Tom Cotton’s cellphone number over daylight savings bill
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Washington Examiner →
What we have measured
Accusation printed unanswered a named candidate is accused of responsibility for murders, with no response carried ×1Accused named Names one accused student, citing the lawsuit; no other report we hold names any of the accused ×1Accused named Names each person charged and gives their nationality. None of the defendants is quoted. ×1Accused named Names one accused student from the civil filing and attributes the claim to the lawsuit ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The Hill
Centre
estimate · not a score
The Hill
🇺🇸US ·
digital · independent
Trump posts GOP senator’s cell phone number over daylight savings act stall
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Hill →
What we have measured
Accusation attributed the word lying is placed in a named politician's mouth, not the outlet's ×1Actor named No actor named for who kept reporters out ×1Actor named No actor named for who let reporters back in ×1Actor named Names the state as the one that carried out the execution. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Washington Examiner
Right
estimate · not a score
Washington Examiner
🇺🇸US ·
newspaper · independent
Trump releases Tom Cotton’s cellphone number over daylight savings bill
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Washington Examiner →
What we have measured
Accusation printed unanswered a named candidate is accused of responsibility for murders, with no response carried ×1Accused named Names one accused student, citing the lawsuit; no other report we hold names any of the accused ×1Accused named Names each person charged and gives their nationality. None of the defendants is quoted. ×1Accused named Names one accused student from the civil filing and attributes the claim to the lawsuit ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Claims and verdicts
No claims registered.
Who wrote it
M
Mira Bhakta
The Hill
The Hill
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Asserted versus attributed
racist placed in quotation marks and credited to the students×1
Asserted vs attributed
stated flat that the process bypasses Congress×1
Attributed
'racist' placed in quotation marks as the students' word×1
Attribution
puts the demand for an investigation on two named lawmakers×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
2 disputed5 unverified5 true
From 246 reports we hold under this byline, at
The Hill. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating.
Their full record →
R
Rena Rowe
Washington Examiner
Washington Examiner
What the bias passes found in their reporting
Accused named
Names one accused student, citing the lawsuit; no other report we hold names any of the accused×1
Accused named
Names one accused student from the civil filing and attributes the claim to the lawsuit×1
Appointment label
Labels the judge by the president who appointed him. Doing so presents the ruling against the administration as coming from its own side.×1
Asserted not attributed
States Cotton's opposition as fact. No statement from Cotton or his office is quoted or attributed.×1
Claims we checked that rest on their reporting
4 unverified4 true
From 149 reports we hold under this byline, at
Washington Examiner. Two independent readings, each made without the masthead, a quote attached to every tag. A record, never a rating.
Their full record →
The bylines on the reports this story is built from. Hover one for what our passes have measured on their reporting.
Coverage, outlet by outlet
The Hill
Centre
estimate · not a score
The Hill
🇺🇸US ·
digital · independent
Trump posts GOP senator’s cell phone number over daylight savings act stall
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at The Hill →
What we have measured
Accusation attributed the word lying is placed in a named politician's mouth, not the outlet's ×1Actor named No actor named for who kept reporters out ×1Actor named No actor named for who let reporters back in ×1Actor named Names the state as the one that carried out the execution. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
— independentQuotes Trump's post directly and describes the bill correctly, as making daylight saving time permanent; frames the post as Trump "lashing out at Senate Republicans".
President Trump posted Sen. Tom Cotton’s (R-Ark.) cell phone number on Truth Social Saturday, lashing out at Senate Republicans to move forward with legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent. “Tom Cotton, a friend of mine, is holding up a very important Bill,” Trump wrote, describing the Sunshine Protection Act. “For some reason, Tom…
Characterising verb: Chooses an emotive verb for the president's post, where 'urged' or 'pressed' would have been neutral. — “lashing out at Senate Republicans to move forward with legislation”
Whose voice: Quotes Trump directly in the second sentence. The senator whose number was published is not quoted. — ““Tom Cotton, a friend of mine, is holding up a very important Bill,” Trump wrote”
Characterising verb: the report's own verb frames the post as an outburst — “lashing out at Senate Republicans”
Whose voice: quotes only the president; the senator is not heard — ““Tom Cotton, a friend of mine, is holding up a very important Bill,” Trump wrote”
Read it at The Hill →
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/6127587-trump-posts-tom-cot…
Washington Examiner
Right
estimate · not a score
Washington Examiner
🇺🇸US ·
newspaper · independent
Trump releases Tom Cotton’s cellphone number over daylight savings bill
Open this report in The AI Times →
Read it at Washington Examiner →
What we have measured
Accusation printed unanswered a named candidate is accused of responsibility for murders, with no response carried ×1Accused named Names one accused student, citing the lawsuit; no other report we hold names any of the accused ×1Accused named Names each person charged and gives their nationality. None of the defendants is quoted. ×1Accused named Names one accused student from the civil filing and attributes the claim to the lawsuit ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
— independentThe only report that says the bill passed the House in July and that Cotton opposes it; it gives no source for his opposition, describes the bill as ending daylight saving time, and lists Cotton as R-AK.
President Donald Trump published Sen. Tom Cotton’s (R-AK) personal cellphone number in a Truth Social post, urging people to call Cotton to pass the Sunshine Protection Act. The act, which would end daylight saving time, passed the House in July. The bill is currently held up in the Senate, with Cotton opposing the measure. Recommended Stories Congress blindsided by Trump’s Pulte pick and questions qualifications for intelligence chief Cotton says US military presence in Venezuela ‘always an option’ after Maduro ouster GOP senators eye constitutional loophole over convicting Trump “To the Grea
Factual inconsistency: Gives Cotton the state code AK. The other report gives R-Ark. for the same senator. — “Sen. Tom Cotton’s (R-AK)”
What the bill does: Says the bill would end daylight saving time. The other report says it would make daylight saving time permanent. These two accounts of the same bill conflict. — “The act, which would end daylight saving time, passed the House in July.”
Asserted not attributed: States Cotton's opposition as fact. No statement from Cotton or his office is quoted or attributed. — “The bill is currently held up in the Senate, with Cotton opposing the measure.”
Word choice: Says Trump 'published' a 'personal' cellphone number, which stresses that the number was private. The other report says 'posted' a 'cell phone number'. — “President Donald Trump published Sen. Tom Cotton’s (R-AK) personal cellphone number”
Factual accuracy: describes the bill as ending daylight saving time; the other report says it makes it permanent — “The act, which would end daylight saving time, passed the House in July.”
Factual accuracy: gives the senator the wrong state, Alaska instead of Arkansas — “Sen. Tom Cotton’s (R-AK)”
Asserted vs attributed: the senator's opposition is stated flat, with no reason and no word from him — “with Cotton opposing the measure”
Read it at Washington Examiner →
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/senate/4753100/trump-tom-cotton…
Checked, didn’t cover
Mother Jones
Left
estimate · not a score
Mother Jones
🇺🇸US ·
magazine · independent
What we have measured
Asserted, not attributed 'ultra-gerrymandered' stated as fact ×1Asserted versus attributed 'Cover-up' is asserted in the report's own voice, not attributed ×1Asserted versus attributed calls it a cover-up in its own voice ×1Assertion vs attribution describes the operation as a 'violent occupation' in its own voice, with no source for the phrase ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Reuters
Centre
estimate · not a score
Reuters
🇺🇸US ·
wire · independent
What we have measured
Actor named The attacker is the subject of an active verb for both the deaths and the damage ×1Actor named No actor named for who cancelled the flights ×1Agreement stated flat, source in a tail attribution moved after the dash ×1Announcement written as settled A social-media post becomes a future indicative: the conversion will happen ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
N
NPR
Centre
estimate · not a score
NPR
🇺🇸US ·
public broadcaster · independent
What we have measured
Asserted, not attributed that the system wrongly flagged citizens is stated flat, with no source named for it ×1Asserted versus attributed public disbelief stated as established, with nothing cited that measured it ×1Asserted versus attributed Past threats of force are stated flat, as background ×1Asymmetric labelling one side tagged by its patron, the other not ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
P
Politico
Centre
estimate · not a score
Politico
🇺🇸US ·
digital · independent
What we have measured
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
T
The Washington Post
Centre-left
estimate · not a score
The Washington Post
🇺🇸US ·
newspaper · independent
What we have measured
Accused's denial carried the only report carrying the Marine's side ×1Actor named via accusation the administration is named as acting, through the ranchers' charge; the price rise is stated flat ×1Asserted, not attributed a shift of power to Iran stated flat in the headline ×1Asserted or attributed the headline states as data what the body shows the chair selecting in a speech ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Fox News
Right
estimate · not a score
Fox News
🇺🇸US ·
TV/radio · independent
What we have measured
Accused named Names one former fraternity member through his lawyer's denial. The woman is anonymous by her own choice. ×1Actor in headline The headline names Trump as the one acting. The body names only Anduril. ×1A number, with no people named The only report that gives a figure counts the journalists whose communications were swept up. It names none of them. ×1Asserted, not attributed stated flat: past court defeats are asserted with no case, judge or date named ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Breitbart
Right
estimate · not a score
Breitbart
🇺🇸US ·
digital · independent
What we have measured
Anyone hurt is counted, not named eight deaths given as a number only ×1Framing of motive The lede calls the denial a punishment and puts 'fake news' in quotation marks; the officials being sued are left unnamed ×1How the person shot is named a status, not a name: the only report that never uses either name calls him an illegal alien ×1How the place is described a party label attached to the city in the same clause as the casualty count ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
MSNBC
Left
estimate · not a score
MSNBC
🇺🇸US ·
TV/radio · independent
What we have measured
Accuser not named The lede does not name the senator making the accusation ×1Actor named for the ban The White House is the subject of both verbs: it blocked journalists, then let CNN back in. ×1A first stated flat a never-before claim carried without a source attached ×1Asserted, not attributed absence of fraud evidence stated as fact ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
The New York Times
Centre-left
estimate · not a score
The New York Times
🇺🇸US ·
newspaper · independent
What we have measured
Active and passive voice the ship is 'targeted' with no actor, one sentence before a named actor is given for the Saudi attack ×1Active vs passive voice Pike is named as the killer in the active voice; the botched execution has no actor named ×1Actor label Names the shooter by its backer, not by its own name. ×1Actor named Names the official and what the process did to Pike. ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
National Review
Centre-right
estimate · not a score
National Review
🇺🇸US ·
magazine · independent
What we have measured
Asserted not attributed Doubt about the allegation is stated flat, in the outlet's own voice ×1Asserted not attributed An argument about deterrence is stated as fact ×1Asserted versus attributed calls it an abuse of power in its own voice ×1Asserted versus attributed 'Abuse of presidential power' is stated flat ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Silence is recorded, not inferred — each of these was read when we built this story
and carried nothing on this event.
We could not read these
The Wall Street Journal
Centre-right
estimate · not a score
The Wall Street Journal
🇺🇸US ·
newspaper · independent
What we have measured
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
Associated Press
Centre
estimate · not a score
Associated Press
🇺🇸US ·
wire · independent
What we have measured
Dating and attribution Dates the signing to Aug. 6, 2026 and writes ord ×1Dating and attribution Carries a dateline correction, repeated three ti ×1How hard the claim is stated Marks "birth tourism" as the administration's ow ×1How hard the claim is stated high ×1
Outlet profile in The AI Times →
These are must-cite outlets for this desk that we did not manage to read
when we built this story. That is a gap in our reach, not a silence on their part, and
it is not evidence of anything about this story.