Oklahoma schools boss clashes with CNN anchor Pamela Brown in on-air spat over pro-Trump prayer video

A CNN news anchor and Oklahoma's school superintendent sparred on screen over his new mandate requiring schools to play a video of him praying for President-elect Donald Trump.

Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters emailed school districts last week telling them they would be required to play the video for students and parents.

He blamed the 'radical left' and 'woke teacher unions' for 'attacking religious liberty' in the video and invited the students to join him in prayers for Trump and the country.

School districts in that state have pushed back and argued that Walters has no authority to require them to 'disrupt the school day.'

CNN Newsroom host Pamela Brown questioned Walters on Monday over what gives him the authority to make such demands when the state's attorney general he has no power to force schools to show the clip.

'I have continued to hear the gaslighting from the left, frankly, even from this network, pushing lies about what's going on across America,' Walters said.

'President Trump has a clear mandate. He wants prayer back in school. He wants radical leftism out of the classroom, wants our kids to be patriotic, wants parents back in charge with school choice. 

'We're enacting upon that agenda here in Oklahoma. That's what our parents want. Every county in Oklahoma voted for President Trump. His agenda is crystal clear and we're going to enact it in the state of Oklahoma.'

Brown shut down his claim saying, 'I'm not going to take the bait on what you said about gaslighting from this network on this.'

'You know, I appreciate you pushing that left-wing narrative here, but here's the reality. The Constitution...' Walters said.

Brown interrupted again, saying: 'It's not a left-wing narrative. I'm literally talking about a petition that parents have signed that's gotten more than 14,000 signatures that have raised this issue.'

Walters is being sued by group of parents of public school students, teachers and ministers for requiring the Bible be incorporate into lesson plans for students in grades 5 through 12. 

He is seeking to buy 55,000 Bibles for public schools and specifying that each copy contain the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution. 

The lawsuit noted the initial 'request for proposal' released by the State Department of Education to purchase the Bibles appeared to have been carefully tailored to match Bibles endorsed by Donald Trump that sell for $59.99 each.

Brown questioned Walters over the graphic sections to Bible and what he would say to critics who say if the Bible is required in the classroom so should other religious texts.

'The left doesn't want our kids to know anything about the role the Bible played in American history,' Walters said.

Brown noted that the US constitution 'doesn't have god' in it and the first amendment allows religious freedom.

'Look, CNN doesn't have to like it. Left-wing activists don't have to like it,' Walters said.

'It's a historical document. The Bible is a historical document. You can't rewrite history, Okay?

'And, again, look, the media doesn't have to like it, but the reality is, the American people have rejected this gaslighting and have put President Trump back in the White House with a clear agenda, and we are going to stand right behind the president every step of the way.'

Brown concluded, 'Just to be clear, this isn't about the media not liking it. I'm talking about your critics and whether you're willing to consider their point of view, because, as you know, you oversee an entire education system in the state of Oklahoma with people with varying viewpoints. And we want to bring that to light.'