Donald Trump, who is the front runner for the Republican presidential nomination, declared last week that he believes the Department of Education is a vital cog in how government helps its citizens.

Speaking to Anderson Cooper of CNN, Trump said that education is a dutiful exercise of the federal government.

Stunned, like many others, Cooper asked Trump to clarify what he means by the role of the federal government in how education is run. Trump again answered that education plays an important role in the function of government.

This is a departure from the Trump that many find on the campaign trail, and on television for that matter. In October of last year, Trump said that he would get rid of the Department of Education as well as the Environmental Protection Agency.

Trump has previously said that the Department of Education must go because Common Core is “bad” and that education should be run by the state, with little oversight by the federal government.

This is either a politically shrewd move closer to the center so that he may attract moderates and independents, or just the words of a man who was caught telling the truth and wrapped himself in a lie.

After all, it seems that Trump’s campaign thus far is based on admonishing the role of government and inciting the ire of Americans who believe that there is too much government overreach in their lives.

While many Republicans have floated the idea of eliminating the Department of Education, Trump is likely the first one to fight for the department’s cause in one breath and then call for its eradication in the next.

For what its worth, Trump said that healthcare is a responsibility of the federal government, but then changed his stance to state that healthcare should be privately run.

Trump may believe that education is better suited for the private sector as well if polling and his constituents say so. Many on the left and right have championed charter schools and voucher programs, so this wouldn’t be a sudden or shocking departure for Trump. His view of capitalism makes sense based on the fact that he is one of the wealthiest Americans (just ask him).

For now, though, Trump is, or was, of the belief that education should be run by the federal government which is a platform that aligns with the current administration and his either of his potential future opponents in the Democratic party.