Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump took to the airwaves to announce his universal government healthcare plan. Trump has been a supporter of socialized medicine for years, but his recent appearance in an interview with CBS news was just the latest discussion he’s given on the topic.

Whether this will harm his candidacy remains to be seen, but it probably won’t. Trump’s supporters come from the big government wing of the Republican Party, and are likely those most willing to abandon conservative principles in favor of expediency. Many of these are former Tea Partiers, who became disillusioned with libertarian ideas when they conflicted with their nativist sentiments. Thus in 2010 the fragile coalition of libertarians and conservatives began to break apart when the movement began to focus on issues such as immigration.

Trump plays perfectly to the Republican crowd, who have rejected Rand Paul because GOP primary voters nearly universally want big government. Republicans want big government on the border. They want big government in the labor markets. They want big government in the military, and the NSA. The only candidates who are performing well in the GOP race are the ones promising bigger government.

It makes sense that Trump is in the lead. He’s the one promising the most free stuff.