Donald Trump

Bekah Congdon | 10.7.2024 11:45 AM

Former President Donald Trump's various financial ventures are rolling out faster than most casual observers can track, from relaunching $99 NFTs and debuting a new cryptocurrency platform to hawking six-figure watches. Trump's holiest hustle is the $60 "God Bless the USA" Bible, complete with the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, and the Pledge of Allegiance.

About 1,300 miles from Mar-a-Lago, Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction and Trump loyalist Ryan Waters has been pushing biblical education in public schools. The Republican—and self-proclaimed "lifelong advocate of improving Oklahoma's education system"—declared in June that "every teacher, every classroom in the state will have a Bible…and will be teaching from the Bible in the classroom." This was followed by a memo stating: "Effective immediately, all Oklahoma schools are required to incorporate the Bible, which includes the Ten Commandments, as an instructional support into the curriculum….Immediate and strict compliance is expected."

Walters has a history of injecting right-wing cultural politics into the public schools. In January, he drew bipartisan criticism for appointing Chaya Raichik—a 29-year-old former Brooklyn........

© Reason.com