Update: On Oct. 7, the state of Oklahoma amended the bid document for Bibles in response to massive pushback. Also, one other Bible was identified that meets the original criteria, one promoted by Donald Trump Jr.
There’s a new twist to Ryan Walters’ plan to place Bibles in every Oklahoma public school classroom: The bid for Bibles appears to match only the so-called “Trump Bible” that sells for $60 apiece.
Oklahoma’s Department of Education has opened a bid to purchase 55,000 Bibles to fulfill the state superintendent of education’s much-maligned plan to infuse Christian Scripture into every classroom and lesson plan.
The bid says Bibles must be the King James Version; must contain the Old and New Testaments; must include copies of the Pledge of Allegiance, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights; and must be bound in leather or leather-like material.
The Oklahoman newspaper checked with a Mardel Christian bookstore to see which of the 2,900 Bibles they carry might fit that description. The answer: None.
It appears only one Bible does meet the criteria. That’s Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the U.S.A. Bible, often referred to as the “Trump Bible” for its endorsement and personal enrichment off the sales.
Mardel sells some KJV Bibles for less than $10 apiece, retail.
If the state of Oklahoma buys 55,000 Trump Bibles, that would cost $3.3 million— in a state where teachers already say they are underpaid and under-resourced.
Former Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson told the Oklahoman the request for proposals might violate state law: “It appears to me that this bid is anything but competitive. It adds to the basic specification other requirements that have nothing to do with the text. The special binding and inclusion of government documents will exclude almost all bidders. If the bid specs exclude most bidders unnecessarily, I could consider that a violation.”
Conveniently, Walters already has asked for exactly $3 million to purchase Bibles for Oklahoma classrooms as part of his agency’s fiscal year 2026 budget request.
Already, at least 13 large school districts in Oklahoma have told Walter they will not obey his order to place a Bible in every classroom and require every teacher to teach from it.
This summer, Walters issued a mandate — already being challenged legally — requiring a Bible in every classroom and instruction on specific topics from the Bible. “Immediate and complete implementation of these guidelines for the 2024-2025 school year is required,” Walters wrote while introducing his curriculum guidelines.
“We have talked about ensuring that our history courses include the role the Bible played throughout American history,” Walters said. “We’ve talked about the efforts of left-wing groups and the teachers’ unions to drive the Bible out of school. I believe it’s important for historical context for our kids to understand the role the Bible played.”
Rachel Laser, president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, is among those highly critical of Walters’ action: “Oklahoma’s public school districts, not State Superintendent Ryan Walters, are empowered by state law to establish their own curriculum and select what texts are taught in public schools. Oklahoma families, not politicians pushing a political and religious agenda, should get to decide whether, when and how their children engage with religion.”
In a promotional pitch for his Bible, Trump says: This (God Bless the USA Bible) is very important, very important to me. A lot of people have it. You have to have it, for your heart, for your soul. … All Americans need a Bible in their home, and I have many. It’s my favorite book. It’s a lot of people’s favorite book. This Bible is a reminder that the biggest thing we have to bring back America, to make American great again, is our religion. … Christians are under siege but must protect content that is pro-God. We love God, and we have to protect anything that is pro-God. We must defend God in the public square and not allow the media or the left-wing groups to silence, censor or discriminate against us. We have to bring Christianity back into our lives and back into what will be again a great nation.”
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