However, Trump added to his long string of contradictions and dizzyingly rapid position changes during last Tuesday's presidential town hall on CNN. A combat veteran asked, "In your opinion, what are the top three functions of the United States government?" The tycoon responded that after security, the top functions of the federal government were education and health care. He then added housing. Here is the video of the exchange:
As is his pattern when questioned, Trump tried to walk his statement on education back a moment later, which turned into this steaming pile of incoherence:
ANDERSON COOPER: Aren't you against the federal government's involvement in education? Don't you want it to devolve to states?
DONALD TRUMP: I want it to go to state, yes. Absolutely. I want right now...
But then when Cooper followed up again:
COOPER: So that's not part of what the federal government's --
TRUMP: The federal government, but the concept of the country is the concept that 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.
Despite this, as with his idea to expand libel laws to go after journalists that say negative things about him, Mr. Trump again displayed his frightening lack of constitutional understanding. Obviously, government control of education, health care and housing are exactly the big government establishment solutions parents fighting Common Core and Fed Ed, conservatives, and Republicans all oppose. That philosophy is much closer to the positions of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders on all three...
...For parents who have been fighting the battles against the Common Core -- and who have been bringing to light how those horrific standards are being used to psychologically manipulate, data mine and track their children into careers based on invasive, experimental tests that parents can never see, all based on federal law and policy -- Trump's statements are confusing and terribly disappointing. The federal government should have no role in education. And Donald Trump's lack of constitutional understanding, incoherence and rapid position shifts on this and many other issues should raise enormous red flags.
ANDERSON COOPER: Aren't you against the federal government's involvement in education? Don't you want it to devolve to states?
DONALD TRUMP: I want it to go to state, yes. Absolutely. I want right now...
But then when Cooper followed up again:
COOPER: So that's not part of what the federal government's --
TRUMP: The federal government, but the concept of the country is the concept that 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.
Despite this, as with his idea to expand libel laws to go after journalists that say negative things about him, Mr. Trump again displayed his frightening lack of constitutional understanding. Obviously, government control of education, health care and housing are exactly the big government establishment solutions parents fighting Common Core and Fed Ed, conservatives, and Republicans all oppose. That philosophy is much closer to the positions of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders on all three...
...For parents who have been fighting the battles against the Common Core -- and who have been bringing to light how those horrific standards are being used to psychologically manipulate, data mine and track their children into careers based on invasive, experimental tests that parents can never see, all based on federal law and policy -- Trump's statements are confusing and terribly disappointing. The federal government should have no role in education. And Donald Trump's lack of constitutional understanding, incoherence and rapid position shifts on this and many other issues should raise enormous red flags.
This constitutional confusion and /or illiteracy on education and other issues seems to have been problematic for him as he lost the Wisconsin primary by 13 points after being up significantly in the polls. After he likely wins his home state of New York, it will be interesting to see how the voters interact with him.
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