Bibles that Oklahoma wants for schools match version backed by Trump

State Superintendent Ryan Walters speaks to members of the State Board of Education during a meeting, Aug. 24, 2023, in Oklahoma City, Okla. (Daniel Shular/Tulsa World via AP

OKLAHOMA CITY -

Oklahoma's top education official is seeking to purchase 55,000 Bibles for public schools and specifying that each copy contain the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, which are not commonly found in Bibles but are included in one endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

The request is part of Republican State Superintendent Ryan Walters' ongoing efforts to require Bibles in every classroom, which has been met with resistance by some of Oklahoma's largest school districts.

Walters is seeking to spend US$3 million in state funds for Bibles that fit a certain criteria, including that the pages are supplemented with U.S. historical materials. The Bibles must also be “bound in leather or leather-like material for durability,” according to state bidding documents posted this week.

The nonprofit news outlet Oklahoma Watch first reported Thursday that the requirements match the “God Bless the USA Bible" that Trump urged his supporters to begin buying earlier this year at a website that sells the book for US$59.99.

Asked Friday if the state's bid was tailored for the Bible backed by Trump, a spokesman for Walters said the proposal was open to any vendor.

“There are hundreds of Bible publishers and we expect a robust competition for this proposal,” said Dan Isett, a spokesman for the Oklahoma State Department of Education.

Former Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson, a Democrat, said the bid “does not pass the smell test” and said a court could void it if the process was found to limit competition.

“All fingers point to the Trump Bible that does contain all these requirements," Edmondson said.

Walters in June ordered public schools to incorporate the Bible into lessons for grades 5 through 12. The bidding documents also specify that the Bibles include both the Old Testament and New Testament, the Pledge of Allegiance and the Bill of Rights.

“We can see there are very few Bibles on the market that would meet these criteria, and all of them have been endorsed by former President Donald Trump,” said Colleen McCarty, executive director of Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law and Justice.

The name of the Bible backed by Trump is inspired by country singer Lee Greenwood’s patriotic ballad. Trump takes the stage to the song at each of his rallies and has appeared with Greenwood at events.

The Bible’s website states the product “is not political and has nothing to do with any political campaign.” It says the site “uses Donald J. Trump’s name, likeness and image under paid license from CIC Ventures LLC.”

Trump reported earning US$300,000 off sales of the Bible, according to financial disclosures released in August. His campaign did not immediately return an email seeking comment Friday evening.

Walters, himself a former public school teacher who was elected to his post in 2022, ran on a platform of fighting “woke ideology,” banning books from school libraries and getting rid of “radical leftists” who he claims are indoctrinating children in classrooms.