On Tuesday during CNN’s town hall, Donald Trump was asked what he thinks are the top three functions of government.
He answered, “[t]he greatest function of all by far is security for our nation. I would also say health care, I would also say education.”
Republicans have long tried to limit the federal government’s involvement in health care and education.
Trump later repeated, “I say all top three are security, but health care, education, would be probably three that would be top.”
Anderson Cooper tried to clarify. “So in terms of federal government role, you’re saying security, but you also say health care and education should be provided by the federal government?”
Trump replied, “yeah, those are two of the things. Yeah, sure. there are obviously many things, housing, providing great neighborhoods—”
Anderson, confused by Trump’s response, asked, “aren’t you against the federal government’s involvement in education? Don’t you want it to devolve to states?”
“I want it to go to state. Absolutely,” said Trump, entirely flip-flopping on what he said moments earlier.
Cooper replied, “that’s not part of what the federal government’s—”
Trump interjected, “the federal government, but the concept of the country is the concept that we have to have education within the country and have to get rid of common core and it should be brought to the state level.”
Cooper added, “and federal health care run by the federal government?”
Trump said, “health care. We need health care for our people. We need a good—Obamacare is a disaster.”
Cooper asked, “is that something the federal government should be doing?”
Trump affirmed. “The government can lead it but it should be privately done,” which sounds more or less like Obamacare. “It should be privately done so that health care, in my opinion, we should probably have—we have to have private health care.”
Watch the full exchange below:
