Trump names health care and education, security, as the top functions of the federal government

American Thinker ^ | 03/30/2016 | Thomas Lifson

[SeekAndFind]

In a moment that seemed to stun even moderator Anderson Cooper, Donald Trump named federal involvement in education and health care as top functions of the federal government, along with national security, at the Milwaukee candidates forum in Milwaukee last night. Apparently unaware that conservatives believe that a federal role in education is unjustified, and that many, including Ted Cruz, want to abolish the Department of Education, and that federal involvement in health care is anathema to his party’s base, Trump spoke of both as among the top three priorities for the feds.

Putting on his surprised face, Cooper attempted to give Trump a chance to address his base. Shoshana Weissmann of the Weekly Standard describes the debacle:

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.

[Hostage]

You’ve been warned not to post to me again.

[1Old Pro]

Healthcare should be #2, it’s a 1/3 of the budget so if the government doesn’t make that a top 3 priority then it’s malpractice. Just because the effort might be devolving it still makes it a top issue, probably #2.

[edpc]

Or what, tough guy?

[lonevoice]

ping without comment

[MayflowerMadam]

Education? Didn’t he say education should go back to the individual states — that the federal government should be out of it? I don’t get it. I’m for Trump, but this bothers me.

[SeekAndFind]

As I said before.... Trump is like a slippery eel, you can’t pin him down EXACTLY because he can say certain things before and say something that contradicts it later, and then he’d clarify what he really means even later.

[Kit cat]

He absolutely SAID education should go back to the states!!! I saw the entire town hall, he started to say education but said education SHOULD BE a STATE FUNCTION!!!!

[Kit cat]

Mayflower Trump said 3 things government should handle were SECURITY, SECURITY, SECURITY!!!!!!

[Iscool]

Agreed. The really frightening thing, however, is that none of his fans seem to expect him to make sense or even care that he doesn’t.

Fact is we know exactly there Trump stands on the issues since he's told us time and time again...You guys are trying to parrot the liberal media and GOPe and pick sound bytes to try to use against Trump...

[MayflowerMadam]

Right! He said that many times. At the federal level, “yes” to security; “no” to education”.

We’ve been traveling since the weekend, so I’ve been a bit out of the loop as to what’s been going on for a few days. But a quick scan of FR yesterday this thread popped up. I’m very confused.

[VideoDoctor]

I watched the ENTIRE town hall segment with Trump and Anderson Cooper... that's NOT what he SAID or mean't.

It becomes more and more obvious with each passing day that Trump continues to negotiate the MSM's version of the claymore mines game.

[VideoDoctor]

Cruz has proven to me that he a the UniParty candidate who just doesn't know the UniParty is going to throw him under the bus

TRUER words were never spoken.

Cruz is definitely "Mr. Naive" in terms of that.

[VideoDoctor]

And yes, the federal government also has a HUGE role in healthcare and needs to use that role to increase private competition, reform Medicaid and strengthen medicare.

Just seeing someone like Trump even deal with these issues would be such a revolution as to cause Wash D.C. to quake.

[VideoDoctor]

You are depending on a serial liar, blowhard con-man to keep his word on the one issue you care about. Not the best strategy.

People who USE those terms usually REPRESENT them also.

"Takes one to know one."

[VideoDoctor]

You realize that Trump just had someone write that for him?

How DAMN DUMB can you be.

Of course he does.. just as he has MANY, MANY someones BUILD his BUILDINGS and MANAGE his many HOLDINGS.

Trump's JOB is to oversee and guide the effort by making sure it's accomplished CORRECTLY and according to his PLAN.

Your IQ must be bordering in the 85 to 88 neighborhood.

[Svartalfiar]

How DAMN DUMB can you be.

Of course he does.. just as he has MANY, MANY someones BUILD his BUILDINGS and MANAGE his many HOLDINGS.

Trump's JOB is to oversee and guide the effort by making sure it's accomplished CORRECTLY and according to his PLAN.

Your IQ must be bordering in the 85 to 88 neighborhood.

How DAMN DUMB can you be? Obviously he has people under him doing things, but when he doesn't even know what's in his plan more than just a couple soundbites, when he states positions that are contrary to his website's 'official positions' section, when 2/3 of his 'top FedGov functions' aren't Constitutional, that just tells me he isn't conservative at all. He can't guide and oversee if he doesn't know what the blueprint is. This is even worse than Perry not knowing what Fed departments he would eliminate.

And you may want to check your IQ before spouting off stupid stuff, ad hominem attacks don't speak for a very high number on your end.

[Svartalfiar]

At his rallies, he speaks unstructured, extemporaneously or extemp, improvised and from the heart. These speeches are not meant to be scripted. They are meant to be in tune with his supporters and they are.

...

Aspects of his healthcare plan have been mentioned and noted in all his rallies from the very beginning before he put out his policy paper. He puts out ideas and bounces them off participants at his rallies. Then, when his ideas pass muster with his lawyers, he waits for the right moment to release them in a policy paper.

That is exactly the problem with him. He has no speech plans, he just blurts out what comes to mind. And so he says stupid stuff, like what this article is about. And bouncing ideas off your audience to see what they like isn't how you come up with a conservative ideology. Trump isn't conservative at all. He just has mostly-conservative audiences, so he preaches to what they respond to.

[VideoDoctor]

He can't guide and oversee if he doesn't know what the blueprint is

Obviously, you're on the inside of the Trump organization and KNOW definitely that there is NO plan?

I called you "DAMN DUMB" because of the constant CONJECTURE you involve in each and every one of your pointless posts.

Constant conjecture is usually also the sign of low IQ.. and you're definitely there my friend.

[Hostage]

I don’t think there is anything that can change your mind. He will win the election even with the lying media against him so you’d better prepare for many years of your own frustration.

You don’t know Trump. The only way you do know of him is through media sources and the media sources lie. So you believe a lot of lies.

Think about that.

My friends and I speak like Trump all the time, and yet I publish in very prestigious journals. One of my best friends was an award-winning architect, and another friend is a film scoring composer. Yet another friend owns and operates a 5-star restaurant. And many others are quite accomplished.

We gather around and have a good time, we talk extemp, ‘blurt’ out things and when we each need to write something or plan something, it is done with high quality and without writers or others to do it for us.

We’re similar to Trump in our speaking and writing, and we like Trump a lot.

So when you say all those nasty things about Trump or show such a nasty attitude, you say them about us.

Thank about that.

[Svartalfiar]

Obviously, you're on the inside of the Trump organization and KNOW definitely that there is NO plan?

I called you "DAMN DUMB" because of the constant CONJECTURE you involve in each and every one of your pointless posts.

Constant conjecture is usually also the sign of low IQ.. and you're definitely there my friend.

Huh? Trump's plan is posted on his website. The issue is that he doesn't know what his positions are based on that.

Any post talking about what Trump will do is conjecture, no one knows what he might do. He tries to talk conservative now, but only because he decided to run in the Republican primary. Doesn't mean anything if he actually gets in the hot seat. You can only guess what he might do, based on his past actions. Just because people don't agree with your positions, doesn't make them 'low IQ'. Your assumptions there, the continuous ad hominems make yourself look petty and 'low IQ'.