During CNN's Republican Town Hall on Tuesday, March 29, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump stated that the federal government's top three functions are education, security and healthcare.
Trump also added that "housing, providing great neighborhoods" stays also among the responsibilities of the federal government. The Republican presidential candidate made his statement in response to a question on the "top three functions of the United States government," according to Breitbart.
When the moderator Anderson Cooper asked Trump whether he is against the federal government's involvement in education, the Republican presidential candidate answered that he wants education to go to state. Trump added, "We have to have education within the country, and we have to get rid of Common Core, and it should be brought to the state level."
Health care and education are federal priorities more likely to come from a liberal Democrat rather than a Republican. Trump has actually been confusing so far on the role of the federal government. In October, he argued that education is a local issue and said he would eliminate the Department of Education to cut federal spending.
"I may cut Department of Education," Trump said, according to Huffingtonpost. He also expressed his beliefs that "Common Core is a very bad thing. "
States have certainly their role in providing education, but the United States government would be at a significant disadvantage without the Department of Education. By stating that he wants education to go to the states, Trump was contradicting his earlier position stating that education is a key issue of the U.S. government. During the Wisconsin Town Hall, CNN host Anderson Cooper tried to point out the discrepancy in Trump's position.
Common Core is seen by many Republicans as a symbol of the intrusion of the federal government in state policy and has become a popular conservative target. But in reality, Common Core was actually developed at the state level, as Tony Fratto, a former George W. Bush aide, pointed out Tuesday night.
